


DILF

by KatiesGhost



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Ben is in his 20s, F/M, Hux is in his 40s, M/M, Phasma has no chill, Pining, Slow Burn, The Ben / OFC is only hinted, and needs a hug, hux has a daughter, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2018-12-20 16:25:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 75,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11924712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatiesGhost/pseuds/KatiesGhost
Summary: The life of Armitage Hux goes to hell. Until he meets young Ben Solo, who is accidentally his daughter's boyfriend.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello there!  
> After reading million of Kylux stories, I thought that I could contribute with something too. 
> 
> Do not take this story too seriously, my mind is a mess.  
> \----  
> The story is currently unbetaed so I'm sorry for all eventual mistakes!

“And this will be all for today, thank you! Don't forget to study for your test on Monday!" Armitage Hux closed his notebook and looked at his students who were already running out of the class, even though the bell was only starting to ring. Typical end of his week. These were the oldest kids in the school and were highly unimpressed with anything that he had to tell them – especially when it contained words like ‘king’, ‘war’ or any kind of date. 

"Right," he mumbled to himself and rubbed his face. He should be happy with the weekend ahead of him, but he felt tired and absolutely hollow. Hux should be content, for Christ's sake; he was doing the job of his dreams. Right?

Hux took all his things from his desk and got to his office only just in time to hear his phone ringing. "I'm coming, I'm coming…"

"That's what you said to your lovely husband yesterday, am I right, Armie?" Hux looked at his young colleague sitting at her table sipping tea and painting her nails some ridiculous colour. She was barely out of school and had an unpleasant habit of trying to be friendly with him -in which she failed, and miserably. She was currently still failing in it for her second year. He rolled his eyes at her megawatt smile and picked up his phone.

"Hux, speaking," Armitage sat down and crossed his legs. "Oh hello, Phas!" He smiled into his phone and looked out of the window. His colleague looked at him and played with the idea of taking a photo because she was sure that not even the FBI would be able to find a proof that Armitage Hux was ever smiling. When he put down the phone she was still looking at him with great suspicion. "Why are you still looking at me like this, Rey? Did something happen to your face? Do you have some mental illness that forbids you to behave as a rational human being?"

Rey rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No, I don't. It's just that one doesn't see you smiling often, you know? You're more like a…you're more like Grumpy, you know?"

"I'm more like what?"

"Grumpy! You know: depressed, brooding, and too serious for his own good…. Ring any bells?"

"You should really stop watching cartoons, Rey. You're an adult. Behave like one."

"And you're a human being, behave like one," she smirked at him and blew on her left hand. "So, what got you all smiling, huh? Did your hubby call you?"

"I swear to god, Rey, if you won't stop calling him ‘your lovely husband' or ‘hubbie' or any other stupid nickname, I will personally go to the director and get you fired."

"You can't go anywhere impersonally, so this is quite stupid," she huffed.

"Not. My. Point."

"Okay, okay, I get it. I won't ask any more questions, Mr ‘I-talk-with-funny-accent’."

"My accent is not funny, Rey." Rey snorted and turned around in her chair, mimicking him. "What the hell is my life?" Hux mumbled and started packing.

 

The road from school to his home was going as usual, a little traffic here, a little traffic there – long story short, Armitage was glad to be home once he arrived there. Nothing could be better than going home, having a glass of wine, and watching some stupid movie on TV with his husband. They had been married for 15 years now and movie Fridays were their tradition; they never skipped a week, not when they could help it. Hux fished his keys out of his pocket and unlocked the front door, a smile on his face. This weekend was going to be marvellous, he was sure of it – and not only because his old friend from the university days was coming back to town.

"I'm ho-ome!" He peeked into the hallway and came inside. There was a silence. There wasn't supposed to be a silence - he should be able to hear at least something, anything that would indicate that there was somebody at home. "Honey?" Hux frowned a little and took off his shoes and jacket, which he then put on the hanger next to the door.

And then he heard it.

Weak regular noises.

Did his husband finally make some time for repairing the shelf in the bathroom, which was slowly, but surely going to fall under the weight of all of their cosmetic products? "Poe?" He made it to the stairs that led upstairs. "Honey?" He tried once again when there was no answer. However, the noise wasn't coming from the bathroom, it was coming from the room opposite to it, which was their shared bedroom. Armitage frowned and opened the door with a resolute bang. "Poe, what are you- WHAT THE FUCK?"

And ‘fuck’ it was indeed.

His ever-loving husband was fucking some other guy, right in the middle of their mahogany bed with fresh white sheets which Armitage changed himself this morning.

Poe stiffened in the middle of a movement and immediately pulled out of this poor guy's ass. He looked at Armitage with mouth agape whilst his lover tried to cover himself with a blanket. "Oh fuck, Tige, you were not supposed to see this!"

"Oh really?! I'm sorry, I'll close my eyes, please continue!" Hux exclaimed wildly with his hands but couldn't make his legs move away.

"No, no! That's… That's not what it looks like, really… I swear!"

"Poe, it is exactly what it looks like," mumbled the stranger behind Poe and the dark haired man looked at him sharply.

"You're not exactly helping, Finn," Poe hissed and wailed when something hard hit his head.

He looked on the ground where the homemade weapon fell and saw a little statue of a seagull, which they bought last year in Italy. Poe looked back at his husband, who was seething on the threshold. "Darling, just let me explain-"

"I want him out of my house; I'm going to sleep at Gwen's." Armitage tried his best to maintain normal voice and went back downstairs, taking two steps at a time.

 

Gwen's flat was as empty as he expected. She told him that she will be coming back this evening and that normally meant two hours late. Armitage looked at his watch; it was already six in the evening, meaning that he had three or four hours until she got there. He was really glad that she gave him a spare key when she decided to travel the world and leave him in this miserable town completely alone. Well, not alone, he had his husband, but now he wasn't sure if it was still the case.

"Armitage?" Gwendoline found her front door unlocked. She tugged her trunk inside her flat and sighed, the sound of the television was quietly humming from the living room but nobody gave her an answer. She looked at her phone; it was ten in the evening. Hux probably fell asleep waiting for her.

And she was right. Her friend was peacefully lying on the couch, drooling onto her 100 hundred dollar pillow. 

"Armitage," she said quietly and stroked loose strands of his hair away from his eyes. "Wake up, loony, c'mon." Hux mumbled something incomprehensible in his sleep and wrinkled his nose. "I'm serious. Wake up and stop drooling on my pillow," she shook his shoulder and straightened her back.

"Phas'?" Hux rubbed his eyes and squinted. "Is that you?" His throat was raw and he felt like his head will explode at any moment. The aftermath of crying yourself to sleep was always, of course, depressing.

"Yes, it's me. I'm happy to see that you're back with us. Your hair looks ridiculous. I don’t know why you keep it so long. You look like some Axl Rose before forty kilos wannabe, Tige. I'm sorry I came this late, you shouldn't have waited for me. You shouldn't ditch Poe for me, you should go home, we'll see each other tomorrow, okay? I'll take you to a restaurant and we can have nice breakfast-" she finally looked at his sitting form and noticed his red eyes and puffy face. "-Oh fuck, were you crying?" Hux shook his head and bit his lip, fat tears already running down his cheeks. "Shit, what happened?" Gwen sat down next to him and took him in her arms. "Did I say something? Don't cry, please, your hair looks amazing, you look good, I didn't mean it-"

"It's not my hair, Phas."

"It's not your hair? Is it a wig? Why would you buy something so stupid look-"

"No! This IS my hair, it's just that…I'm not crying because of my hair, which is nice by the way, thank you very much, it's about…it's about Poe," Hux hiccupped and touched his ponytail rather tentatively.

"Okay," Gwendoline nodded and got up. "You wait here, I'll get some wine and you will tell me everything." She waited for her friend to nod and then went to the kitchen to get some red medicine.

 

"Where are you going?!" Armitage shrieked and got up from the couch to catch Gwen who was marching into the hallway. "Gwen, stop!"

"I'm going to get to your house and kick his cheating ass! I'll punch him in his perfect white teeth and we'll see if some other stupid youngling will want him when he's looking like an NHL player after a bad day!"

"You can't do this, Phas, he's… he's a lawyer. He has to look presentable, you can't just beat him," Hux took her hand and started to pull her back. She didn't move an inch.

"What are you trying to do here, weakling?"

"Ugh! Can't you at least pretend that you are a normal human being and not a marble statue golem—thing?"

Gwen rolled her eyes and yanked her arm back. "Fine," she grumbled, "I won't go to your house and mutilate your dear husband."

"Thank you," Hux sighed and went back to her couch, took his untouched glass of wine, sat down and finally started drinking. "Can I continue now?"

"Sure," she growled and sat down next to him. "I promise that this time I will try to let you say more than one sentence." 

"Amazing," Hux drank some more.

"Uhum," Gwen hummed and motioned for him to continue, "so you got home and he was in your bedroom fucking some-"

"- random black guy," Hux nodded. "I just…. I don't understand it, Phas, what am I supposed to do? It's not as if I can just abandon him; we are married! I should probably forgive him; I should go home and talk to him and…."

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"Then what am I supposed to do? Oh god, I…. I really didn't miss this part of relationships. Why did he have to complicate everything? It's not as if we were unhappy; we were happy, we…oh my god, we weren't happy, were we?" Hux rubbed his cheek and tried to drown himself in his glass of wine. Phasma was looking at him with deep sympathy and she soon reached out to caress his free hand.

"I don't think that you should forgive him right away, Hux. But…. You're probably right about talking to him, you're both adults. You should talk about it; ask him why he did it – except for the reason that he's probably a giant dick – and when you know all his excuses, send him to me and I'll finish him."

"I won't let you kill him, Phas. I'm not in a mood for hiding bodies," Hux rolled his eyes.

"Does Emilia know?" Hux paled, blinked and poured himself more wine. "I'll take that as a no."

"Of course that she doesn't know, she would tell me if she knew. She had school today; they're keeping them late on Fridays."

"And since your daughter is the same insufferable swot just like her father, she wouldn't even think about skipping her classes." Armitage showed her a finger and drank some more.

"Do you think I should tell her?"

"Knowing Emilia, no, I don't think so. She would probably kill him, and then I would be depressed that she denied me such a pleasure."

Hux just nodded and kept staring at her carpet. It was vibrant purple. He hated it.

 

Poe slammed his suitcase shut.

"Are you sure that you don't want anything else? Not even that Star Wars films collection?" It was Saturday afternoon and Hux was sitting on the bed, watching his husband packing his things. He came home from Phasma's in the morning because he didn't want to drive back home drunk. Having your husband cheat on you was one thing, losing your driving licence because you're irresponsible human being was another. And Hux wasn't irresponsible. They talked after the breakfast, but there wasn't much to talk about since his husband was waiting for him with his things already packed in the hallway.

"No, I don't want that movie collection, Armitage. You can keep it; you can drool over Ford when I'm gone," Poe sighed and put his suitcase down from the bed. "So…. That's probably all," he sighed once again and ran fingers through his hair. Hux nodded and averted his eyes; he couldn't bear to look at him. He was leaving him for some twenty-five years old intern from their law company and didn't even tell him why. Poe wanted a divorce, he wanted to move out and keep in touch because nothing was worse than a bitter ex. "I'm sorry, Buttercup, I really am," Poe stepped in between his legs and lifted his chin. "You'll be okay, I'm sure of it. I just… I can't do this anymore. I'll call you to discuss the divorce papers," Poe kissed his forehead and caressed his cheek. "Goodbye."

"For god's sake, just leave already!" Hux pushed him away with angry tears in his eyes. "I don't need your charity, you…you…" He was pointing with his finger and trying to come up with an insult, but he couldn't find the right word. He felt as if all the insults in the universe weren't enough for this person standing in front of him. "….moron," he practically whispered.

Poe nodded. "Okay," he mumbled and walked away from their bedroom. Hux got up from their – no, scratch that – Hux got up from his bed and went after Poe to help him with moving his stuff into his car. The moving van had already left. "You really don't need to help me, Tige."

Hux stepped down from the last step and crossed his arms. "I didn't intend to, I just wanted to make sure that you're really gone and not taking any other things. You could be a kleptomaniac, for all I know. Since you're a cheater now, you could develop some other personality trait as well." Poe rolled his eyes, took his suitcase and guitar, and walked out of the house. Armitage kept standing in between the front door, leaning against the doorframe. He unconsciously prayed for Poe to look back at him and smile and tell him that it's going to be okay. That this all was just some lame joke. That he still loved him.

He didn't.

"For god's sake, Armitage, pull yourself together," he rubbed angrily at his eyes and watched the bright red car leave. He was looking after him until it turned a corner and a new car appeared on their street. He squinted a little and saw his daughter waving at him. He didn't know this car and he surely didn't know the dark-haired young man sitting behind the steering wheel.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your lovely comments and kudos! It only makes me write faster <3

The beaten up car made it to the driveway right next to Hux’s house. It made a wailing noise and died with a puff of smoke from its exhaust pipe. “You should really have someone look at it, Ben. Do you know how much fumes do when they release into the air? Or buy a new car, this is horrible.” Hux heard his daughter’s voice coming from the car when she opened her door.

Ben? He didn’t know this one - probably some new guy whom she met on the campus. Hux was thinking about going back inside, locking himself in the bedroom and pretending that the world didn’t exist while preparing for the next week classes, but when he turned around to do just the thing, his daughter, Emilia, saw him. “Dad!”

Hux straightened his back, breathed out and tried to school his expression into somehow pleasant. “Emilia, hello.” He waved and crossed his arms. “I thought that you were supposed to come in the evening, after that… demonstration thing.” Emilia walked around the car with almost ethereal quality and jumped on her father from two meters straight with a grace of an elephant. “Uh, watch yourself for God’s sake, you’re crushing me!” He stuttered when she embraced him with so much ferocity that he almost choked. For someone so slim she was far too strong – if that meant that she won’t be attacked and killed in some shady park he was okay with it, but he didn’t find it necessary for her to train it on him.

“Oh shut up, Dad, and hug me back,” she muttered into his shoulder. “I had to come earlier, screw the demonstration. You can’t be alone right now, hm? I am here and I will stay at home with you until you’re good as new. It’s not too far from the university. You can take me to the city every morning and then I’ll take a bus or something; plus I really don’t want you to-” someone cleared their throat behind her back and she let her father go. “Anyways, this…,” She grabbed the Ben-guy’s arm and dragged him closer. “Is Ben, my boyfriend.” She smiled at her dad and then at Ben.

Sheepishly, Hux smiled. “Hello, Ben.” He offered the young man his hand and looked him over. He was about as tall as Hux himself, with broad shoulders and black hair, which was definitely not his natural colour since there still were hair dye remnants near his hairline; he was wearing black jeans and a grey hoodie with Outer Space University print. He was passable if he could behave.

“Hello, Mr. Hux.” Ben shook his hand and smirked. “I haven’t met Mrs. Hux yet but I’m sure that Emilia got her looks from you,” he said with a mischievous grin. Em laughed and punched him in the arm. “Especially her breasts’ size,” he added and Em punched him again, this time much harder.

Hux laughed miserably. “You’re too kind; her mother is far better looking than me.” Especially now, with her new tits and a nose job. “Come inside, I’ll make you some tea. And please, do not call me Mr. Hux, only my pupils call me that.” He shook his head and went inside, the young couple trailing behind him.

“Is it really okay I’m here?” Ben asked as soon as Emilia’s father was out of their speaking range. “I mean, you said that he had some serious fight with your other dad so…. I’m not sure if it’s the right time for the “meet the parents” shit.” Ben was looking around himself with unhidden discomfort. Emilia told him that her dads were having some kind of crisis, and he hadn’t wanted to come, but she’d insisted and he didn’t want to end up without sex for a month, so he came with her. And now he was standing there, in their hallway, with a big hole in his sock and a turning stomach.

“Yeah, I’m sure that it’s okay…. He needs something to distract his mind, hm?” She patted his cheek and gave him a peck on lips. “Come. You can wait in the living room; I’ll help him with the tea.”

“I hate tea.”

“You’ll drink it or you know what awaits you….” She poked him in the chest and went to the kitchen to help her father. Ben was left standing there with a deep frown on his forehead and pursed lips. 

 

“I missed you.” Emilia danced into the kitchen and hugged her dad from behind. He was standing by the kitchen counter, waiting for the water to boil.

“We haven’t seen each other for two days, honey,” Hux smiled softly and patted her hands. “I’m sure you couldn’t miss me this much. I’m your parent, you should think that I am lame and annoying not that…whatever you’re thinking.” He waved his hand a little and rubbed his face. He didn’t shave that morning, something that would never have happened were it a normal day of his life where everything was ideal and where cheating husbands didn’t exist.

“You’re not lame. You’re old, yes, embarrassing, yes, and you should definitely stop wearing these trousers, but you’re not lame,” she smirked and nuzzled against his back. She inherited his hair colour and eyes but she definitely didn’t inherit his height. She was a hobbit, in comparison to her father. “Ben hates tea.”

“Dump him,” Hux said and removed the kettle from its holder. “We can’t have this kind of negativity in our house.” Em laughed and took out three mugs. “I’m serious, don’t laugh.”

 

“So, Ben, how did you two meet?” Hux smiled when he sat down in his favourite armchair and blew on his tea. He knew that everyone hated it when it came to meeting the parents of their partner and if he could make himself feel a little bit better by making someone’s life more miserable, he would definitely go for it. Especially when this boy was nothing like his daughter’s previous boyfriends. They all usually had nice clothes and were smart looking guys in general. This one was like someone you would bring home just to rebel against your parents.

“Well, you know, Mr. H, we met at an uh…at a bar, you could say. Yeah, it was a bar. Definitely a bar. I was uh, I was there with my crew and-“

“Your crew?” Hux raised one eyebrow. What was he? Some kind of rapper? “Are you in some gang?” He sipped from his mug and tried not to sound too outraged about the fact that his little sweet girl could be dating a gang member.

“No, no… It’s not a gang, it’s just… we’re….” Ben was stuttering and looking anywhere but on Hux. He really didn’t want to fuck this up but he felt as if he was at a police station, not in a living room of a high school teacher.

When he set his eyes on Emilia’s father, probably for the first time since they started talking, he was trying to calm himself with the thought that he shouldn’t be afraid of this man. He didn’t look terrifying at all. Quite the opposite, he looked lost and as if he was desperately trying not to crumble and cry. Ben’s eyes found Hux’s feet on the soft carpet on a wooden floor. He had red socks with tiny white shamrocks on it, which made him smile a little. How old was this man? Em said that he was a little bit weird but he didn’t see him as someone who would like to wear socks with pictures. He was wearing plain blue trousers, which have surely seen better days, and white shirt, which was a little bit too big for him and crumpled. His shoulders were too small and his head seemed a size too big for his body, and that hair! It seemed lank even when it was in some kind of a ponytail.

And now he caught Ben looking. Ben didn’t even have a chance to study his face.

Fuck.

"Ben," Emilia hissed and elbowed his ribs. "Stop staring at my father as if he's grown a third head…," she whispered and smiled at her parent, "He's not in a gang, dad. Ben's an actor."

"You're an actor? Well, that would explain a lot but I’m afraid that if you are this inarticulate, you’re never going to make it in the big bad world.” Hux laughed a little and put his tea on the table. He got up from his cosy armchair and straightened his wrinkled shirt. “I’ll leave you kids to it. I’ll be upstairs if you need me.”

Hux was lying in his bed. He couldn’t sleep. When he looked at his alarm clock he saw that it was almost midnight; he couldn’t remember when was the last time he had stayed up for this long. His head was too full of everything, and there were these cringe-worthy sounds coming from Emilia’s room, which was behind a wall near his head. He really didn’t need to hear his kid having sex. He could tell that they were trying to be quiet, and he didn’t want to be angry at them; it wasn’t their fault that his life was in shambles. 

Armitage sighed and looked at Poe’s side of the bed. He slowly pushed his hand against the neatly folded blanket and ruffled it a bit so he could pretend that Poe was just downstairs getting some water or that he went to the toilet. Hux bit his lip and closed his eyes to stop the tears from coming, but he couldn’t stop the silent sob that escaped his lips. He opened his stinging eyes and shuffled to the other side of the bed, grabbing Poe’s pillow in a miserable manner and pressing his face into the fabric with a desperate need to smell his husband’s scent. He missed him. It was not even one day and he missed him like nothing before. 

“I miss you so much,” Hux whispered into the damp fabric and nuzzled his nose against a dry spot. He stretched his hand out to his night table and grabbed his phone from the charger. He unlocked it and started sobbing anew when he saw his wallpaper, it was a photo they took during their time in South America. Poe had to travel there because one of his cases, and Hux flew there some days later so they could take a little vacation. It was a really nice vacation. And it was only one month ago. Had he been cheating on him back then? Hux sniffed and put his phone away. He shouldn’t behave so pathetic. It wasn’t like his husband died, even though it would probably be better. “Stop thinking like this, you fool,” he muttered to himself and sat up. There was only one solution for his misery, and that solution was in the kitchen.

 

Hux woke up with a headache to the doorbell ringing. “For fuck’s sake,” he mumbled and rubbed his forehead, squinting at his alarm clock. Ten in the morning. He whimpered and hid under his blanket. He was usually up by the eight o’clock. He had wanted to make  breakfast for the kids. What a horrible parent he was. He got up lazily and stretched his back until he heard a soft pop and felt his vision swim. Perks of having low blood pressure. When he shuffled to the door and opened it, he heard that Em had already opened the main door to whoever was trying to get inside. 

“Aunt Gwen!” 

Hux blinked and started to panic. Phasma was the last person he wanted to face right now if he didn’t count his father and husband, but what would one of them do there unexpected he didn’t know. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus….” He shut the door with a little more force than he intended to and leaned against it with his back. He closed his eyes and tried to breathe. “It’s going to be okay, Hux. You’re going to go out there and you’re going to act as if you’re normal and didn’t have a total breakdown during the night. It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” 

He went to his closet to dress and when he opened the door, he looked into the attached mirror and frowned at himself. “You’re a strong person. Remember it. You look like shit but you’re a strong person who won’t let his best friend shout at you.” He pointed at his reflection and kept staring into his own eyes. Until his lip starting wobbling. “Who am I kidding, I’m pathetic,” he started sobbing and banged his head against the mirror. “Ouch, fuck.” He rubbed his forehead, which would probably bruise because he was lucky like that.

“There he is; my favourite loser!” Phasma beamed at him from the dining table, when he finally made it downstairs. She was drinking coffee and looking through some magazine.

“Good morning to you too, Phas,” Hux sneered and sat down opposite of her. He took her coffee and started drinking it. He needed it more than her anyway. “Where’s Emilia?” He rubbed his eyes and leaned back to look into the living room from his position by the table.

“Your daughter and her ridiculously good-looking boyfriend left fifteen minutes ago,” she made a face at him. “They went shopping because someone broke into your house during the night and ate everything that was in your fridge. You should probably get a dog or an alarm or stop eating like a pig, because nobody will want you if you’re fat and miserable, Armitage.” He scowled at her. “I mean it. Now spit it out, did you and Poe talk? Where is he? Can I kill him now?” Hux pushed his mug away and put his face into his hands, he groaned. “Did you two talk?” Hux shook his head. “You didn’t talk? So where is he?”

“He’s gone,” he pipped.

“What?”

“He’s gone, Phas. When I got home in the morning, he had already packed all his things and told me that he wanted a divorce and that he won’t live with me anymore. Then he got into his stupid shiny red car and left me,” Hux was fighting to keep his voice normal. He felt that he was shaking inside and that the tremor was making itself known as he was starting to shiver as if he was cold. He even felt cold. Phasma, as they all kept calling her since school because, god knows why, she choose it as her artistic alias, kept staring at him in silence. “I haven’t told Em, yet,” he sighed, “I don’t know how to tell her… I really don’t.”

Phasma sighed too and took his hand. “Look, I think that she’s going to take it just fine. She’s not a little girl anymore, even if you don’t want to see it. I know that he was like a second father to her and that he loves her and she loves him but…. You can’t lie to her.” She shook her head and smiled. Hux nodded and just when he wanted to ask her when she became so sentimental, she clapped her hands and said: “And after you tell her, we have to make you look like a human again, because seriously, you look like shit.”

“Of course,” Hux rolled his eyes. “Not everyone can be so lucky and look like the beauty itself 24/7 just like you.”

Phasma winked at him and laughed. There was a sound of a dying car outside Hux’s house. “Looks like your daughter is home.” 

Armitage nodded and breathed out, “Yes.” 

He got up from his spot and went out of the kitchen. He stopped next to the door of the living room and waited for his daughter to come inside. When the door opened, she was alone. He was expecting an audience, so this was a relief. “Good morning.” He offered her a smile. “We need to talk,” he said immediately without letting her to greet him back. 

He didn’t ask where Ben was, that boy probably had enough common sense to leave them alone to talk about things. Or he was just scared to face him after the sounds he made during the night. “Come.” He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen, in case she wanted to take the groceries somewhere else, and went to sit back on his previously occupied place at the table. 

Emilia put the groceries on the counter and sat next to Phasma. Hux felt like he was at the university again, as if he was having an oral exam and didn’t study because he was too busy drinking out with friends. 

“So….” Hux started and looked at Phasma for guidance. She, being a good friend, only smirked and crossed her arms. “…The day before yesterday, when I came back home from work, I found Poe in our bedroom with…with some other guy. Probably just a few years older than you. Some intern from his company. I think I saw him at their Christmas party, now when I think about it.” He looked at Emilia with careful eyes. She didn’t look horrified, she actually looked guilty. “And yesterday, he told me that it wasn’t just a one-time thing. He told me that he thought about it and that he really wants to be with this…boy,” he sneered, “and that we should divorce. He had all his things already packed, he told me that I can keep the house because he doesn’t want you to lose your home, and that he’s leaving.” His throat was tight, his voice coming out hoarse and he was trembling again. He was trying to keep it as short as possible because he was sure that he would start crying if he told them all the details about their non-existing conversation. And that it was killing him that Poe didn’t really tell him the reason to all of this, that there was no screaming, no fighting, just a casual talk and a goodbye.

“Dad, I know.”

There was a silence. Both Hux and Gwendoline looked at her in shock.

“How do you mean that you know? You knew that he was cheating on me and you didn’t tell me anything?” Hux breathed out, absolutely outraged. He shook his head and blinked a few times, he was trying to process it.

“No! No…No! I didn’t know that he was cheating on you. I just… I came back on Friday; it was maybe nine in the evening. I wanted to pick something up for the demonstration, Ben drove me here. I heard them talking in the living room and Poe told me everything. I didn’t tell you yesterday, because I thought that it would be better to let you tell me when you think it’s the best and… I’m so sorry, dad. But, I told him that he’s an idiot and that I won’t forgive him for leaving you, like ever. He’s an idiot if he doesn’t want you. And if it’s only because you’re not twenty anymore or that this other guy is shredded or I don’t know what else, he’s even more stupid.” Emilia frowned and rubbed her neck where she had a hickey from the last night.

Armitage looked at her with relief. “Oh god, I’m sorry that I yelled at you,” he rubbed his face, “I shouldn’t…. How could I think that you knew. I’m sorry….” 

“I swear that if you say you’re sorry one more time, I’m going to dump all your tea into the toilet.” Gwen rolled her eyes and took out her phone from her purse. “Okay, we should hook you up with someone. I, as a photographer, know many nice gay models, so it shouldn’t be a problem. Well…. After we get you a makeover, because – no offence, Armitage – you look horrible and none of them would even look at you in your current state.” 

“Oh my god, how many times have you told me that in the last two days?” He frowned. “Do I really look that terrible? Forget your models, I don’t want any of your model friends; I don’t want someone just because they have a nice body, that would be so….”

“Normal?”

“No!”

“If you don’t want Phas to get you in contact with them, then auntie, can you hook me up with them?” Emilia smiled at her and Armitage gaped. “What?” She looked at him. “Who knows how long I will stay with Ben?” She shrugged.

“Women are horrible people,” Hux muttered and hid his face in his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The makeover chapter is here!

Saturday turned out far better than anyone expected. The sun was shining, making everything feel nicely warm and cosy; there were no clouds, which would bring spring rain with them. Kids were running amok on the streets of the suburbia, laughing and playing games. Hux loved this part of the city; it was welcoming and not busy like the centre, which was exactly where they were going now. They drove through the streets and as houses started becoming smaller and more angular, the welcoming atmosphere slowly started to wither. There were no little kids on the streets, only cars and people rushing to their destinations. No, he definitely wasn’t a city person. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was born in Ireland where everything was much more calmer,  greener, and more hospitable. It was Poe who had dragged him across the big ocean, made him settle down here where his name didn’t mean a thing and where he was just a ginger guy with a funny accent.

They parked their car in the parking lot somewhere in the centre and hopped out. The three of them were quite a sight. Emilia was far too eager to patronize her father; she was practically jumping up and down, beaming as a child on the Christmas day. Phasma was looking between them with a knowing smirk and Hux was hoping that he would get run over by a car. Or a tank.

“So, where are we going aunt?” Emilia smiled at Phasma and clasped her hand behind her back; she made a little swoon on the tips of her shoes.

“First stop, clothes.” Phasma set the direction and started walking. Hux and his daughter were right behind her.

While the young girl was in her element, Hux couldn’t stop lamenting. “Obviously,” he grumbled. “Since you threw out all of my clothes.”

“Ah shut it, Armitage. We didn’t throw out all of it; we left you what you’re wearing now. And your socks since you wanted to kill me when I opened your precious drawer,” Phasma snorted. “Seriously, who keeps his socks in a colour order? I smell OCD.”

Hux rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. “I hate you so much, you can’t even imagine,” he sneered. They did throw out everything that they didn’t find acceptable, which meant almost ninety percent of his wardrobe. He was a teacher; he didn’t have to dress in accordance with the latest trends. And now that Poe was gone, he wouldn’t be even able to afford it.

“I love you too, honey, but walk faster; we don’t have a whole day.”

Hux made a face and thought something about going and fucking yourself but kept silent. He didn’t want to argue in front of his daughter, who was currently silently laughing behind her hand.

 

 

Hux have never felt so embarrassed in his whole adult life. Wherever they went, he was being scolded for dressing in too big clothes because he didn’t know his right size – let it be shirts, trousers, jeans or jackets. Therefore he was actually happy when they finished shopping and lecturing him about how to dress (as if he didn’t know it - he wasn’t some idiotic legally incapable kid, thank you very much) and went to a barber shop, which he honestly didn’t know that existed in their town.

“You’re going to love it, daddy!” Emilia smiled and jumped a little so she could kiss him on his cheek.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m not sure that I’m going to love anything after what I’ve been through with you two. You’re evil, do you know it? You’re my daughter, you should protect me from this devious creature,” he gestured to Phasma with his thumb.

“You’re right. I’m your daughter, that’s why I can’t let you look miserable, dad.” She smiled innocently at him and opened the door to the barbershop. “After you!”

Hux shook his head and stepped inside the building. He had to admit that it looked rather nice. There were three brown leather chairs on one side of the room with their own little footstools and beautifully ornamented mirrors. On the other side of the room, there was a sitting lounge, with a brown leather couch and a set of armchairs. There was even a little library next to one of the chairs. Everything looked very stylish and welcoming; somebody did a very good job at decorating this place. Hux felt someone elbowing him and only then noticed Gwen standing next to him. She wiggled her eyebrows and disappeared behind a corner. He could hear her talking to some man; she probably phoned here earlier to make an appointment and was discussing some details. It didn’t take long and she came back with a man who had a comically large moustache with curled ends.

“Good afternoon, sir,” the barber smiled at him and motioned to one of the chairs. “Please, sit down; I will be your barber for today. My name is Andrew.” Hux looked him over, wrinkled his nose a little and sat down, absolutely unconvinced about his own well-being in the near future. When he looked into the mirror he saw that Phasma and Emilia had made themselves comfortable in the lounge area. Phasma immediately grabbed one of their magazines and Em gave him a thumbs up and a wicked smile. “We will start with the hair, okay?” Andrew smiled and pulled over a sink, which was standing next to the chair. “Please, put your feet up and make yourself comfortable. You don’t have to think about anything in here, just relax,” the blond man smiled into the mirror and navigated Hux’s head into the sink. “Close your eyes, sir.”

Hux obeyed and breathed out in relief when he felt pleasantly warm water on his forehead. He loved it when somebody played with his hair; it was his favourite part of the day – when he just lay in the bed,  letting his husband scratch his scalp and play with strands of his hair until he fell asleep.

“Please, tell me if the water is too warm.”

“It’s amazing,” Armitage mumbled against his better judgement.

 

“Sir? Are you awake?” Hux heard a low chuckle and opened his eyes. Andrew was looking at him with an amused expression. “I think you must have fallen asleep, you can sit up now.” Hux blinked a few times and gave him an apologetic smile, great; he just hoped that he wasn’t drooling. He could see the clock through the mirror and saw that he had indeed fallen asleep and that he was sleeping for whole forty-five minutes. When he saw his face in the mirror, the tiredness was even more prominent now, when he had his hair in a towel turban. “I’ll give you a face massage when we’re done with the hair, you don’t sleep much, do you?” Hux shook his head. “I thought so, but don’t worry, you’ll be a new person when you walk away from us today.” Andrew patted his cheek and took away the towel. “You have a head full of hair, I really envy you this,” he laughed and pointed at his own bun at the top of his head. “Some of us are balding in our twenties and have to mask it by buns.”

Hux smiled a little and nodded. “I guess that’s true. At least something I can be proud of, after today with these two, I was starting to feel like the most lost case on this planet.”

Andrew just laughed and started brushing his hair. “Do not listen to them; you’ll see that they won’t say a bad word about you when I’m finished with you. I am the best in here, and if you’ll not happy with the result, I’ll give you a discount.” When he saw that Hux rolled his eyes, Andrew just laughed. “I mean it. Dude, you have seriously good hair structure.” He put the brush away and took scissors. “Well, close your eyes Mr, and don’t cheat.”

During the time he was told to have his eyes closed, Hux had the urge to open them probably every ten seconds (when he felt his head get lighter with his hair falling down to the floor and his neck feeling exposed it became every five seconds… or nonstop).

But he didn’t open them.

Therefore, he was anxious when the barber behind him told him to open his eyes and took the sheet off his body. He breathed out, slowly and deeply. “Okay,” Hux mumbled and rubbed his thighs. “Okay.” He opened his eyes a little and then a lot because he was not ready for what he was seeing. “What the-” He blinked and put a hand over his mouth. “What the fuck. Jeepers, what the….”

Andrew was smirking. “I told you.” He patted Hux’s shoulders and dusted off some remaining hair. Armitage was still staring at himself, tilting his head and turning left and right to see himself from all angles possible. His hair was definitely shorter, parted on one side and slicked back with such a precision that it would probably stay in the same place even if he went through a hurricane. “You can thank your friend for hiring me and… probably your parents for good genes because honestly, I would bang you, if I were gay… which I’m not. But if I were, I would…. Never mind.” He waited for Hux to get up and led him towards the lounge where the girls were sitting and reading, oblivious to everything that was happening around them. “Ladies?”

Phasma looked up and started laughing. “Oh my fucking god, look at you! You look good! Thank you, Andrew, you really outdid yourself!”

“I only cut his hair.” Andrew held up his hands in a defensive manner and shook his head.

“Wow, Dad! You look good!” Emilia smiled. “I haven’t seen you this good looking, probably like ever!” She laughed and got up from the couch so she could go closer and inspect him from a closer proximity. “Sideburns, mmm, sexy,” she purred and started laughing. “Thank you, Andrew!” Emilia turned around and beamed at the barber. “We’ll invite you to a wedding when he finds someone!”

 

“When you’re done admiring yourself in the wing mirror, you can get out.” Hux looked over Phasma and tsked, he opened his mouth to say something but wasn’t given a chance, “I saw you winking at yourself for the whole ride. Now get out or you’ll walk home on foot.”

“Why am I friends with you?” Hux mumbled as he got out of the car.

 

When they were done with everything that included Hux being handed from changing room to another changing room, buying cosmetic products for his new hairdo and apparently his face, they finally stopped to grab something for lunch.

“Whoa whoa, where do you think you’re going?” Gwen grabbed Hux’s knee and stopped him from exiting the car.

“Out?”

“Not like this.” She frowned and started to undo his shirt. “We have to pepper you up a little. It won’t be a miracle with these clothes but it will do. You’ll do us a little fashion show when we get home.” She straightened his collar and slapped his cheeks a little so that he wasn’t so pale. “Good, you can go. And by the way, I really think you should grow out this stubble.”

“It gets itchy.” Hux wrinkled his nose, “Maybe I’ll think about it…just maybe, because you paid for all of my clothes and the barber, so…. It would be only fair.” He gave her a smile and got out of the car.

He definitely wasn’t used to people looking at him, especially not waitresses, so he naturally didn’t notice that they were looking like they wanted to take them in the back alley. Phasma, on the other hand, was undressing every man who went by their table.

“Phas, for god’s sake, he was too old for you.” Hux shook his head in disbelief when she winked at some sixty years old man who was going to the toilet. “And he’s probably prostatic.” Emilia snorted and choked on her coke.

“You know, dear, you shouldn’t joke about this. You’ll be prostatic in no time too.”

“Fuck you,” he muttered. “At least I don’t get fluttered as some college kid when I should be home and thinking about settling down.”

“Fluttered? What? Is that some of your elvish dialect phrase or something?”

“Haha. Drunk, it means drunk, okay?”

“So at least you don’t get as drunk as Irish people, I get it,” Phasma laughed and shook her head. “You know, you’re just jealous, Armitage.”

“I’m jealous? Why should I be jealous of you?”

“Maybe because you couldn’t flirt even if your life depended on it.” She crossed her arms.

“Oh, I couldn’t? You know what, just…. I can flirt!” He hissed and looked around to see if anybody was listening.

“Look at you; you’re embarrassed only talking about it! If you’re so sure of yourself, why don’t you show us right now and here, oh great seducer.”

“You’re mocking me?” Hux raised his eyebrows.

“Gwen is right, dad, you should totally try it. And that guy over there is looking at you for nearly a half an hour, so I think you have a fair chance,” said Emilia and popped one of her French fries into her mouth. Hux blinked at her and looked over his shoulder to look at the mentioned guy. It was a man in his forties, probably the same age as Hux or maybe a little bit older. He was talking on a phone and writing something into his laptop. A businessman. Well, that could do.

“Okay.” He nodded. “I’ll get his number or I’ll pay for all of you.” He got up and straightened his undone shirt and t-shirt that he got underneath. He cleared his throat and with Phasma’s ‘Go got him, tiger,’ he left. He tried to move his non-existent hips and swoon a little.  No, no, bad idea, he probably looked like an idiot doing this. He walked normally, over to the stranger’s table and smiled. The man kept looking into his computer and didn’t pay him any attention. Hux tried to clear his throat, that seemed to work and Hux gave him a smile. “Hi.” He waved a little.

“Oh, hello,” the stranger smiled. “Do you need anything?”

“Well, no…. I just….” He bit his lower lip and ran his tongue over his teeth.

“You’ve got something in your teeth? Do you need a toothpick?”

“No! No…. No….” Hux shook his head and rubbed his neck. “No. It’s just that my friend told me that you were looking towards our table, so I thought that I’ll stop by and say hello,” he smiled and the man deadpanned.

“Well, that’s awkward,” he laughed and rubbed his face in pure embarrassment. “I wasn’t looking at you. I was looking…. I was looking at that young lady you have with you.”

“What?” Hux spat out, clearly shocked.

“Well yeah, I’m sorry…. Is she with you?”

“What?” He repeated in disbelief. Was this man really staring at his little girl? He locked his jaw and frowned, he felt that he was getting red in his face but he was red almost constantly due to his complexion. “Of course that she’s here with me,” he practically growled and the man in front of him swallowed.

“I’m sorry, dude. Don’t worry; I won’t steal her from you.”

Hux just groaned and turned around; he couldn’t afford to make a scene. What if someone from his school saw him? It wasn’t worth it. He came back to their table and put his palms on its surface. “We’re leaving.”

“What? But I haven’t finished my meal!” Emilia gave him a surprised look with a mouth full of fries and ketchup. However, her father certainly wasn’t having it and was already leaving. “Oh my god,” she swallowed the food in her mouth and looked at Phasma. “I think that it didn’t work out,” she sighed and pushed her tray away. “Why must he be so difficult? I bet he wasn’t like this when he was young,” she grumbled. “He’s always so tense and rigid. When did he stop smiling? He used to be so… cheerful.”

“That’s what marriage does to people, Em. It feeds itself on your happiness and leaves you sad and hollow just like it did with your father.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s dementors and not marriage, aunt.”

“Same thing.”

 

Emilia and Phasma decided to be quiet about what happened in the restaurant and Gwen paid for their meal since it was obvious that Hux wasn’t going to do so from the parking lot. The drive home was filled with Hux constantly switching songs on the radio and grumbling about Phas’ hideous music taste. What was wrong with her seventies top list she honestly didn’t know. At least he got normal when they parked next to his house. She really didn’t want to deal with him being all depressed right now. They both helped him with the bags (and that there were many of them) and together they got them to the bedroom’s bathroom. She wanted to make sure that they bought a lot to fill the entire empty place in the wardrobe and shelves, which were left vacant after Poe’s leaving. She didn’t want him to sit here during the night and stare at the screaming emptiness. Hux would find another way how to torture himself and she planned to stop him from doing it completely but this was at least a start.

“Okay, take off your clothes and then you can show us all the things I paid for.” Gwen sat down on the bed.

“And I’ll bring some wine!” Emilia clapped her hands and ran down.

Gwen only smiled after her and looked at Hux. “I’m serious Armitage, don’t give me that sulking look of yours. I know that it’s hard but you won’t make him come back by being miserable. You have to face the fact that he’s gone and he won’t be coming home ever again. You have to move on. You have to live, smile,  laugh, and be that little punk I knew back in your better days; do you understand?” She pointed her manicured finger at him. When she saw that he wanted to complain, she shook her head. “No excuses. I know that it’s been only one day but I won’t allow you to fall down into some void of desperate leprechauns or where you fairies go when you’re miserable.” Hux tossed his pants at her face with a grunt and disappeared in the bathroom.

 

In the end, the afternoon turned out quite good. Nobody cried, nobody screamed, nobody died, and everybody got drunk. And then there was a doorbell ring.

“I’m going to get it!” Emilia jumped from the bed on which she was kneeling but Hux grabbed her by her waist and tossed her back.

“No! I am the head of the house now and I’m going!” He laughed a little when she bounced and fell on the pillows. “Don’t you dare to touch my wine!” He hiccupped a little and straightened his bowtie. “How do I look?” He looked at the girls and smiled lopsidedly. “Oh my god, I love this song! We used to sing it in a karaoke bar in college, do you remember Gwen!?” He grabbed the remote control and put the volume up.

“No way you were singing karaoke, dad! Stop dancing and go open the doors!” Emilia laughed and tossed a shoe at him and she managed to hit him straight in his chest.

“Hey! Stop attacking me, you little munchkin!” The bell rang again. “Oh shite, I hear you! I’m coming!” He went out of the bedroom and nearly hit the doorframe. “Fuck, who put these doors in here?” He grumbled.

“Did you notice that when he says coming it sound like cumming?” Phasma laughed and looked down with shame when Em shot her a warning look. “I’m sorry,” she whispered, giggling.

 

“We hear you, you don’t have to ring so much!” He jumped down from the last step, “I want to know what love is, I want you to show meee!” He sang cheerfully as he swung the front door open. “How can we help- oh.” His laughter stopped when he saw the young man looking at him with a curious look in his eyes.

“Hello, Mr Hux,” Ben smiled uncertainly; he wasn’t expecting Hux to look like this. And he certainly wasn’t expecting the warmth that spread into his cheeks when he saw him standing there with eyes sparkling with glee and the most fitting white shirt and charcoal vest that he has ever seen. And were there little TIE fighters on his bowtie? “Can I come?” … “-In! I mean… can I come in?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so it starts...
> 
> And thank you for all the lovely comments! <3

Once Ben was let into the house, he couldn’t stop his mind from betraying him. What was wrong with him, for god’s sake? It was just clothes! And new hair, obviously. He was so ashamed of how he was thinking about Emilia’s father the day before. How could he ever think that he was not attractive, just because he had that stupid ponytail. Now when he was standing at the base of the staircase, looking at him with sparkling eyes and alcohol flushed cheeks, Ben could see that he was actually pretty decent looking. 

“Ben? Are you listening?”

Ben blinked and rubbed his face. “I’m sorry, what?” Mr. Hux had asked him a question and he hadn’t paid attention to what he was saying, because he was too busy thinking about his face. He needed to wake up and fast; this was his girlfriend’s dad he was thinking about!

“I’ve just asked you what are you doing here? Should I call Em?” Hux smiled carefully, when he saw the boy’s lost expression.

“Um, yeah, sure. Whatever.” Ben nodded and Hux raised his eyebrows. “I’ll just wait down here, yeah…. That will be probably the best, uhm…. To wait. Here. Nice song, by the way. Really…. Very nice.”

“Sure,” Hux laughed a little and went upstairs, shaking his head in disbelief. He almost missed one step because his brain was still having a drinking party. “Darling?” He poked his head into the bedroom and looked at the two girls sitting on his bed. “I’m not sure I’ve ever had this many women in my bed,” he laughed a little when he saw them. “Ben is downstairs, he’s waiting for you.”

“Ben?” Emilia looked up from her mobile phone on which she was currently editing one of Hux’s photos she took earlier. She was deciding between adding bunny ears and goggles on his head, when he spoke to her. “What does he want?” She tossed the phone away and got up from her bed.

“I don’t know, he wasn’t very intelligible. You should really tell him that he should forget about that acting thing, he can’t even make a straight sentence.”

“Neither can you, in this state.” Em patted his shoulder and went down.

“So….” Gwen wiggled her eyebrows. “More wine?” Hux laughed a little and shook his head. “Why not?” She pursed her lips and drank up the rest of her glass.

“I think that I’ve had enough.” He sat down on the bed and caressed one of his new jackets lying beside him. “Plus, I don’t want my head to explode tomorrow; I still haven’t done any preparation for the next week, and I surely won’t do any today since…Pff….” He made a motion with his hand around his head, which Phasma didn’t really understand. “Phas?” He mumbled after a while.

“Yes?”

“Do you…. Do you think that Poe would have left me if I dressed like this before?” Hux mumbled, still looking at his light blue jacket on the bed. “Maybe if I had…. I don’t know. Maybe he wouldn’t. Would he?”

Phasma sighed and put her now empty glass away on the nightstand, right next to the photograph of Poe and Hux on their honeymoon. She took the frame in her hand and looked at the photo. “I don’t know, Armitage.” She shook her head and licked her lips. She remembered the time when Hux came running into her flat, telling her that they finally booked their honeymoon destination. He was so happy; he always wanted to travel the world. And now he could. They hadn’t much money back then, but they still had enough for them to pack their things and fly to explore the ancient Rome.

“I should have asked him. I shouldn’t have let him just go like that. I should have tried to talk him out of it.” Hux hung his head down and rubbed his eyes. The alcohol was acting up on him, the joy that he felt moments ago long forgotten.

“It wouldn’t change anything, Armie. You would just keep hurting each other more and more. He had made his mind. Maybe you should talk to him, yes, but not now. You can’t face him like this. Give it some time, okay?” She shuffled closer and hugged him around his shoulders. “You can talk about it when the right time comes and you’re sure that you won’t break down and cry your face off in front of him. We don’t want this. We need to show him that he has lost the best thing that he ever had. Because you are the best thing. You are the best thing anyone could wish for. Do not ever forget this.” She squeezed his arm a little and kissed his temple.

“Okay,” Hux only whispered and rested his head against her shoulder, closing his teary eyes.  

 

Monday came faster than Hux wanted. He wasn’t ready to face the real world just yet, but he couldn’t afford to pretend to be sick. His students needed him. And he had two tests set for Monday; He couldn’t give them the joy of avoiding it. Hux parked his car in the school parking lot and looked at himself in the rear mirror. Emilia had put concealer under his eyes earlier because he evidently looked like a sleep-deprived racoon. He had shaved in the morning (Phasma could get stuffed for all he cared) and had done his hair as he was instructed. Hux wanted to bang his head against the steering wheel, and he wanted to bang in hard.

Oh, how he hated Mondays.

 

“Holy flying cow on a rocket ship! Who are you and what did you do to Hux?!”

“Good morning to you too, Rey.” Hux put his briefcase on the desk and gave her a tired look. He took out all his papers and divided them into piles according to the class order. Graded tests on the left, future tests’ instructions in the middle, and class material on the right. Three centimetres between each pile. When he was happy with the layout, he took out his red and blue markers and set them above the piles. Hux put his mobile phone next to them and turned around to get some coffee from their personal coffee machine. His cup of coffee found its place exactly five centimetres from his phone and two from the piles below. When he was done, he folded his arms on his chest and bit his lip – Hux felt as though he was being watched. 

“Spit it out or I’ll hit you with my chair.”

“I was just waiting for you to sort your things,” Ray smiled innocently at his back. Hux did this every morning: arranging his things on the table as if he wanted to take a photo of them and put it on the Instagram so everyone could see how organized he was. She didn’t really get it in the beginning, and once made the mistake of borrowing his red pen and not putting it in its previous place. Hux had tried to act as if it was no big deal afterwards but she saw how his fingers were twitching for the next two hours.

“I’m done; speak.” He sat down and turned to her.

“Did you get kidnapped by suit ninjas?”

“I’m sure that those don’t even exist. And no. My friend thought it was time I changed my wardrobe.”

“Can you give me their number?”

“Why?” Hux raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms.

“So I could thank them for making you look like an every high school girl’s wet dream.” Hux huffed and turned around, back to his organized table. “C’mon, I meant it well! You look good, very good actually. Your hubby must be ecstatic that he has such a good looking wife.”

Hux’s shoulders tensed. “I’m not his wife, Rey. We are both men. Husbands. There is no woman or man in our relationship. Excuse me,” He got up from his chair, feeling unwell all of a sudden. “I’m going to go to the toilet. I can’t bear talking to you right now.”

“Okay,” Rey piped out and went back to playing Clash of Clans on her iPad.

 

Hux made it through the first classes alive and relatively okay. It was probably because he had only the youngest kids that couldn’t care less if he had a dead badger on his head or was dressed in a tutu skirt. However, when he entered the class that was supposed to be his last before the lunch he ran out of his luck.

He walked into the class with the sound of the bell ringing and went to put his things on the desk. “Good morning, class.” He stood by his desk and waited for them to stand up and greet him. They stood up and stared at him in shock. Some of them started giggling, whispering, and gaping at him. “Be quiet and stand straight, or we will be doing this for the next ten minutes until you behave,” he said with a stern voice and scowled. The class fell quiet. “Good, now sit.” He sat down as well and opened the class register. “Is somebody missing today?” He looked over the class, trying to ignore their stares. One of the girls, whom he appointed for this month as the class' speaker, got up from her chair and nodded. She started telling him the names of their missing classmates. There were four of them. “I hope that it isn’t because of the test I promised you for today.” He wrote them down and looked up once again, closing the register. “So….” He got up from his chair, took the tests from the desk and started to hand them down. “You will have ten minutes to fill out your answers; it’s only ten questions - nothing hard since you all surely prepared as I told you to.” He got back to his table and sat down. “Any questions?” There were five hands in the air.

He pointed at a petite girl named Clara sitting in the front row; she was usually very silent and always doodling something in her books. “You look very nice today, Mr. Hux. Why did you decide to cut your hair?”

Hux squared his shoulders. “Thank you, Clara. I really appreciate it. Do people need a reason to cut their hair?” She shook her head. “Good, now… any other questions?”

“Is your jacket from Zegna?” Asked another girl in the back of the class.

“No, it isn’t.”

“Mr. H, these sideburns are brutal, don’t you think you look like some mafia boss?” Laughed one of the boys.

“That’s enough,” he raised his voice a little. “No more questions. You have five minutes to finish the test.”

“But you said ten!” Whined the mafia boy.

“Don’t push me Taylor, or I’ll give you an F right away!”

All of them swallowed, looked down, and started writing. Hux patrolled them with his eyes to detect if anybody wanted to cheat.

 

“Oh my god, have you seen our little Huxy today?” Said one of the teachers sitting in the school canteen. There was five of them and all of them known for being the biggest gossip witches in their school. Nothing could go past them, and what they didn’t know they made up. They were like these typical village gossip mongers (not speaking of how ancient they were). 

“I’m sure that he’s not little, Matilda. He is probably taller than your Willy, when he was still a young and dashing gentleman.”

“He’s certainly dressed as one, I’m telling you!” Matilda continued, “What happened to him? Do you think that he’s cheating on his husband?” She put a fork with beans into her lipstick-smeared mouth. “He surely is; people like him are always cheating. I’ve seen it on the television. Trust me.” They all nodded just in time for Hux to enter the canteen. He was immediately under their attention.

“You were right, Tilda, just look at him!” The second witch mumbled with poorly hidden amazement. “He’s all dolled up! He does have someone on the side; unbelievable.” She shook her head.

“Do you think that it’s a woman? He did have a woman before, since he has a daughter. I taught her in her senior year when she was still in this school; she was quite bright but seemed arrogant with that accent of hers. Bloody British people.” Matilda shook her head, and all of them nodded in agreement as they sipped on their cheap coffee.

Hux walked past them towards the queue and all of them turned to him, waving. “Good afternoon, Armitage,” they said in unison; when he gave them a hesitant wave, they all put their head together and started gossiping anew.

Hux just rolled his eyes and went to the line. He stopped behind some of the older kids that he didn’t know since he didn’t teach them anything, and tried to patiently wait until it was his turn. One of the girls turned to him and smiled. “Good afternoon, Mr. Hux.”

“Good afternoon,” he nodded at her and suddenly found the fluorescent lights on the ceiling very interesting.

 

Another Friday came in a blink. 

And with Friday came Phasma’s mischievous plan that could be easily called “How to get Hux into an asylum” or a grave. That plan meant taking him, Emilia, and her boyfriend (because “How can you play board games when there are only three of us, Armitage?”) to some godforsaken cottage in Alaska. (“It’s only for two days and a half, Armitage, don’t be such an ass. You need a vacation!”) If she wanted to set him up with some of the mountaineers, he didn’t know.

He barely had time to pack when there was a car honking in front of his house. They were supposed to go to the airport by one car and when Hux got out of the house, he saw that Phasma had already picked up Ben and Emilia at the campus. He set the house alarm, locked the door, and strolled towards her car with his little suitcase. When he failed to open the car trunk, he had to bang on the window to let her know that she should probably open the car so he could get inside. There was a click and the trunk opened. 

“Thank you!” He called into the car but there was no answer. “You’re welcome. Please, let me wait here for you to finish packing your things, so you could take everything you need when we’re going god knows where.” He slammed the trunk door closed and went to the front of the car. However, when he opened the passenger’s door, the seat was already occupied.

“You will have to sit in the back, Hux. I figured out that Ben would need more space for legs since he’s a giraffe.”

“You’re taller than him so what it makes you, a Godzilla?” Hux shook his head. “Hello, Ben.” He looked at the laughing boy.

“Hello Mr. Hux. I’m sorry, I can go to the back if you want to-“

“No, that’s okay,” Hux smiled. “I’ll sit with Em.” He walked around the car and got inside. “And god help me, please, don’t play any of that atrocious disco music or I’ll be kicking your back for the rest of the ride.” He smacked Phasma’s shoulder and fastened his seatbelt. Phasma just gave him a finger and pulled out.

 

When they started nearing their cottage, the trees around them started to thin out and were replaced by the greens of fields and grasslands. Hux almost started to feel homesick. Many times he was thinking about going back to Ireland, even for the two months which were summer holidays, but he always backed out of it because of his dear parents. Not that he didn’t like them, they were his parents after all. However, their relationship drastically changed when his father almost disowned him. It was when he found out about the little incident, which ended up with Emilia being born, and when Hux told him that he wasn’t intending to marry her mother because his preferences were inclined other way. He was forced to move away and live on his own. 

Not that it bothered him that much. It was the annual Christmas dinners what was much less to his liking. The only thing that made him come back every year was that he could get on the nerves of his stepmother - which came to a head when he told them that he was getting married, and brought Poe with him for moral support.

 

_ “Are you sure that it’s okay that I’m coming with you, Armitage?”  _

_ Hux and Poe were driving in their rental car. Hux was nervously drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. Poe refused to drive on the other side of the road because, apparently, it was driving him crazy (no pun intended). They were on their way to the Hux mansion, which resided in the Irish countryside. His stepmother and his father were here on some business trip once in the past, and Maratelle liked it so much in there that they bought some old residence and lived here since then. It was opulent and far too big for them but it didn’t matter as long as Maratelle was happy. And it was also the place where Armitage spent his childhood and most of his teenage days. _

_ “I’m positive.” Hux nodded and turned on the wipers, since it started raining for the tenth time in the last hour. _

_ “Okay.” Poe nodded and rubbed Hux’s thigh. “Does it ever snow here? Or is it only rain all year long?” _

_ “It never snows here,” Hux mumbled. “My mother used to tell me some story about it, but I can’t remember what it was - surely something about fairies.” He waved his hand in a dismissive manner. _

_ “Your mother…. I was wondering about her the other day, you know? Will I meet her too?” _

_ “You would like to meet her?” Hux looked at him with a little and sad smile. “I’m not sure if that would be possible, are you into séances?” _

_ Poe blinked. He didn’t know that she was gone; Hux never mentioned it. “Fuck,” he mumbled and looked at his fiancé. “I’m so sorry, I swear that I didn’t know.” _

_ “I know. It’s okay. It’s been almost twenty years. I was ten years old when she passed away. She had cancer. They found out too late and there was nothing they could do for her. Don’t worry about it.”  Hux stopped the car on the wide path in front of the house and breathed out. “We can still turn around and go to some pub or something.” _

_ “You would like to spend Christmas in a pub?” Poe looked at him with amusement and Hux just shrugged. “Honey, it’s going to be okay. As long as I’m here with you, everything is going to be okay. I love you.” He leaned closer and kissed Armitage on the cheek. “Now come, your loving family is waiting.” _

 

“Earth to Hux, are you with us?” Phasma’s voice caught him unaware.

Hux jerked himself out of his daydreaming and rubbed his face. “Yes, of course. What?” He leaned his head against the window and closed his eyes.

“Nothing, I’ve just said that we’re here.”

“Okay.” Hux opened his eyes once again and looked out of the window. Phasma was right. Next to the car was their rented cottage. It was a wooden two-storied log house with a green roof, windows and doors. In the front, there was a terrace with a bench and a bunch of flowers. Hux could even see a Jacuzzi next to the house where it was meeting the forest. And on the other side of the building, there was… another car? “Why is there another car?” He looked around himself and found the car empty. Hux rolled his eyes and got out of the vehicle. “Phas? Why is there- oh… that’s why.” He saw her talking to some man near the entrance. “Did Phasma mention that there would be someone else staying with us or is this just the owner?” Hux looked at Ben who was taking all their things out of the trunk.

“I don’t know Mr. Hux, it’s probably the owner. But that doesn’t mean that he won’t be staying here with us; she said something about him being her friend.” Ben smiled at him easily and continued in his work.

“She has other friends? I’m shocked.” Hux put his right hand over his heart and feigned surprise. Ben laughed and shook his head.

“Well, seems you’re not that special, Mr. H.” Ben loaded out the last of their luggage and closed the trunk with a little bit more force than necessary.

“What did I tell you about ‘Mr. Hux’, Ben? Don’t call me that or I’ll call you…umm…” Hux drummed his index finger against his chin as he started thinking, “I don’t know, but I’m sure that I can come up with something very embarrassing.” He smirked and Ben laughed again. He had a nice laugh, Hux thought. “You have dimples in your cheeks when you smile, do you know that?”

“He has what?” Emilia put arms around Hux’s waist and squeezed him. Hux just shook his head, he hadn’t heard her coming.

“Nothing. I’ll go ask Phasma who this mysterious guy is.” He separated her from his body and patted her shoulder. “Ben, would you be so kind and take my things?“

“I’ll take your stuff, don’t you worry, Mr. Cutiepie.” Ben winked at him but Hux was already too far to see it, or hear it.

“What did you just call my dad?” Emilia raised an eyebrow as she watched her boyfriend take his backpack and her father’s bag.

“Well he’s good-looking, and he said he doesn’t want me to call him Mr. Hux. I have to call him something.” Ben shrugged with his free shoulder.

“I’m sure that Hux would do,” Emilia muttered. “What the…Are you serious??” She called after him when Ben left her to take her own things meanwhile carrying his and Hux’s bags.

“You’re a big girl, help yourself!” He called over his shoulder.

“You’re an ass, Ben Solo!”

“Yup! That and he has a nice one too!”


	5. Chapter 5

It turned out that the mysterious man who was talking to Phasma was indeed the owner of their cottage. In addition, it turned out that he was single and ready to mingle. As Phasma said, Hux was not ready to mingle although he was single. And so he kicked Phasma in her shin and walked inside of the house.

He was supposed to have his own bedroom on the second floor, right next to Phasma’s (so she could listen if he cried at night or was sleeping) and Ben with Emilia had their room on the other side of the hall (so Hux didn’t have to listen to the young love, as Phasma said). He chose the room on the left and opened the door. It was a small room with a twin bed, wardrobe, table and small couch. Everything was made from dark wood and decorated in blue colours. Hux breathed out and rubbed his neck, which was still stiff from how he nearly broke it while sleeping in the small aeroplane. He hated flying.  Ben and Emilia were the opposite and seemed fascinated by every single cloud.

Hux went to the window to let in some fresh air and looked out, his elbows propped on the windowsill. It was a nice view; his room was facing the area in the front of the cottage, which meant looking at a small hill down to the river. He took out his phone from his pocket and snapped a photo. He couldn’t wait until he would show it to- … to whom? Hux sighed and put the phone back into his back pocket. Going back to his bed, the ginger fell into it like a dead man. He was super tired and didn’t plan on getting up earlier than tomorrow morning.

That was until he heard a knock on his door.

“Come in!” He mumbled into the duvet and didn’t move an inch. Hux could hear his door opening and the sound of a silent laugh. It was Phasma - he would recognize her laugh anywhere. It was rather special.

“I see that you’ve made yourself home.” She smirked. “You should at least get your bag, it’s downstairs. Arthur says it will be dark soon, so…. No outside for us today. He’ll leave after dinner; he cooked us some mean burgers,” Phasma smiled enthusiastically.

Hux lifted his head and glared at her. “Really? Did they tell you to fuck off, too?”

Phasma rolled her eyes and sighed. “Funny. Anyway, I’ll be downstairs. Come when you’re ready.” She winked at him and closed the door behind her.

Armitage buried his face back into the blanket and groaned. He was starving because he hadn’t touched his plane food. Not eating much was now making him sick, and his stomach was making itself known. Singing its ‘feed me’ anthem. He murmured in discomfort and tried to think about something else. About the light breeze which was drifting into his room; about the possibility of taking this Monday off and spending it by sleeping for the whole day.

He was slowly falling asleep when the door opened again.

“Phas, for god’s sake, I already told you, I don’t give a fuck if he makes mean burgers or tortillas or whatever, just…leave me alone. I’m tired,” Hux grumbled.

“I make pretty awesome pasta but I guess that’s irrelevant.”

Hux tensed and looked towards his door. “Oh, it’s you.” He blinked at Ben.

“Yes, I…I brought you your bag….” Ben lifted Hux’s luggage into the air and smiled.

“Thank you.” Hux gave him a little smile in return and sat up. “I’m sorry, I thought that you were Gwen. She was here a few minutes ago and was trying to make me come downstairs and be sociable.” He rolled his eyes and sighed. “I’m hungry so I’ll probably just go down. I heard that Arthur would be staying for the dinner. How convenient, don’t you think?” He got up from his bed and stretched his back, then he took his bag from Ben and placed it on the couch.

“Yeah, he seems fun. Do you think that we’ll see the northern lights from here?” Ben looked at Hux with excitement in his eyes and beamed at him. “I hope so; it would be so fucking cool. You can’t see such things in Cali, right? Sucks big time.”

“Well, at least California comes with…. Huh.” Hux shook his head as he realised that he couldn’t think of one good thing that would come with living in California.

“There are beaches and Disneyland. Hot weather. Hot people.” Ben smirked and laughed a little. “I should go; I have to unpack my things or Emilia will kill me, so…. See you later, Mr. Daddy.” Ben winked at him and left.

Hux stared after him with his eyebrows raised. What did he just call him?

 

Arthur’s burgers were heaven. However, Armitage would never admit it aloud. He didn’t want to please Phasma. She was looking at him constantly during their dinner, trying to push him into a conversation with her friend.

“Do you like the food, Tige?” She stabbed him in the back of his hand with the fork and smiled innocently.

“It’s fine.” Hux nodded and gave Arthur a polite smile, nothing more. No, he won’t fall for this trap.

“Thank you!” The man in question smiled brightly and took a sip from his glass. “I got the recipe from one fella in New York; he has a little deli. I’m travelling a lot, you know? I want to visit every country in the world before I die. That’s my goal,” he laughed. “I’m planning on not dying until one hundred so I have…. Let’s see…. Fifty-five years left.” He moved his eyebrows. Hux was looking at him in slight disbelief. “Impressed?” Arthur laughed when he saw Hux’s expression.

“Yeah, I’m in shock.” Hux pursed his lips a little and nodded, absolutely unimpressed. He wasn’t lying though, he was in shock. He was shocked how long it had taken Arthur to count how many years he had left. His teacher senses were kicking in. 

Arthur smiled and took another sip. “I want to climb Everest one day, see the Himalayas, Tibet…. Your ex-husband was from Guacamole, right?”

Hux stared at him.

Emilia burst out laughing.

Arthur blinked in confusion.

Ben had inhaled his beer through his nose and was trying to catch his breath.

Phasma hid her face in her palms.

“Yes, he was…. He was from Guacamole. He was born in its main city, Persea, in the Americana province.” Hux nodded with a serious expression on his face. “Lovely city, a lot of greens. You should definitely go and see it.”

“Cool!” Arthur smiled and set down his fork, popping the last piece of tomato into his mouth with his hand. “Well, see you tomorrow.” He nodded. “I have to go now or I’ll fall asleep driving,” he laughed again and went for his jacket, which he left lying on the couch. The dining room was connected to the living room, so he waved them goodbye and with good night wishes left for the night. As soon as the doors closed, Emilia was crying with laughter.

“I’m sorry, I can’t…I can’t breathe…!” She was rubbing at her eyes and Ben started laughing too.

“Don’t be mean, Em. You can’t laugh at people like this.” Hux looked at her with an amused expression and got up from the table to clean the dishes.

“So he made a mistake, Jesus, as if you two were perfect.” Phasma rolled her eyes and poured herself some more beer. “At least he was trying to talk with you, which can't be said about you.” She glared at Hux’s back.

“Yeah, because to confuse a country with food is just a slip of the tongue,” Hux smirked while putting the dirty dishes and utensils into the dishwasher.  “It’s…. Forget it, Phas.” He closed its door with little bit more force and leaned against the counter with his back. “Please, tell me that you’re not inviting him for tomorrow too.”

Phasma wanted to answer but Ben opened his mouth first. “You know, maybe because we had these mean burgers today,” he winked at Hux, “I can make you all my killer spaghetti tomorrow.”

“He’s serious,” Emilia nodded. “It would kill you, he’s a horrible cook.” She took his hand and kissed him on his cheek.

 

A few bottles of beer and a bottle of wine later, the four of them were sitting on the living room floor, the fireplace quietly cracking in the background, and biscuits and cheese between them together with their drinks and cards. They had played two rounds of Time’s Up with Ben’s and Emilia’s team winning both times, and were now talking about everything they could think of.

Which was mostly rubbish since they were all slowly getting drunk. (Some of them faster.)

“I have a question, for all of you!” Ben pointed at them with the neck of his bottle next to his lips. “If you could change one thing in your life, would you change something or nothing at all?”

“Ben, not this again,” Emilia whined and rolled her eyes. Phasma and Hux looked at her in confusion. “Ben and his friends always get too philosophy-like when we’re drinking somewhere. And then they spend hours arguing about how stupid the answers of other people are.”

“Well, I’m not going to argue with you three, that would be absolutely inappropriate,” Ben laughed a little and took a long swig.

Emilia rolled her eyes again and took a bite of a cracker in the shape of a dinosaur. “Okay. I’ll start. I think…. I think that…. Maybe I would have chosen to live with my dad earlier and wouldn’t have had to listen to my mum whining about how stupid she was that she didn’t see that he was – and now I’m quoting her – gayer than Elton John’s earrings.”

Hux chuckled a little. “Typical. But thank you,” he smiled at his daughter.

“Speaking of Emilia’s mother….” Ben started and Em groaned something like ‘here it comes’. “How did you two meet? I mean… how does a gay man have sex with a woman and gets a daughter as a bonus?”

Hux chuckled a little and ran a hand through his hair. “We met at the university, obviously. She was here as an exchange student. She’s American, as I’m sure you know. I was in the closet at that time; I was horrified of telling someone that I like men because people wouldn’t take it well – let it be because of religion or moral reasons. I didn’t want to upset anyone around me, I didn’t want to lose friends nor did I want to be kicked out of the school. It was enough that everyone knew that my father had enough money to buy the whole campus if he wanted. However, people started talking nevertheless. I was desperate to keep the truth hidden and so I started seeing Beth, Emilia’s mum, and we became very close friends. In the end, when she wanted to make love after a night in the university pub, I just said yes because I was afraid that she would found out the truth if I told her no, and that she would tell everyone, including my father. As you can see, I wasn’t the only one who was lying to the other. She told me that she was taking pills and as it turned out, she wasn’t, so… that’s how Em was born. I was twenty-three years old, back then. Beth was twenty-one.”

Ben, who was dumbfounded by the fact that Hux just said love making instead of sex, was looking at him with a curious look in his eyes. He had never heard him talking so much and for so long. Ben noticed that Hux liked to use his hands while talking or to scratch his inner wrist when he wasn’t comfortable about what he was talking about. “So… That makes you forty-four?” Hux nodded and continued drinking his wine. “You look much younger; I thought that you had her at seventeen or something, that she’s a result of underage drinking and high school parties,” Ben laughed.

Phasma snickered next to Hux. “That’s true. He looks young, though I don’t understand why, with his job and parents. I would be looking like a hag if I were him.”

“You wouldn’t auntie,” Emilia cooed at her and ate another cracker. “Who’s next?”

Phasma shook her head, “I wouldn’t change anything in my life; I’m pretty content with what I have.”

Hux looked at her with an evil glint in his eyes. “Not even going to that Mexican restaurant in London? You were sitting on the toilet for three days straight!”

Phasma smacked him on the back of his head. “That was supposed to stay between us, you fucker.”

“Don’t call my dad ‘fucker’, Gwen! He’s cute and funny and desperate for love, not a fucker.” Em frowned at her aunt and looked at her dad. “Your turn, dad. What would you change?” She smiled.

Hux was still rubbing his head where Phasma had hit him when he started to talk. “Well…. Is it a question about what I would change if I could change it personally? Or what I would have changed if I had the power to change anything?” He looked at Ben, who only shrugged.

“You choose.”

“Okay. Well…. In that case, I would probably not change anything except for my mom's health. I would give anything for her to be here because I…I really miss her….” He nodded a little and took a biscuit.

“Aww, my little sweet boy.” Phasma hugged him around his shoulder and kissed his cheek. “You can always come to me when you’re lonely, you know that.”

“I know.” He smiled at her and patted her knee.

Ben was looking at them with an uncertain expression. He hadn’t expected an answer like that one. He thought that it would be a fun conversation but things were starting to get serious and he certainly didn’t want Mr. Hux to cry. “Okay, should we play another round?” He smiled and hoped that everyone will brighten up. “We can switch teams if you don’t want to lose again,” Ben smirked at Phasma who was giving him a stern look. “Boys against girls?” He wiggled his eyebrows and when the three of them nodded, he breathed out in relief. “Cool!”

 

Maybe it was because of Ben’s acting abilities or Hux’s patience and knowledge while describing people, or it was because Phasma and Emilia couldn’t stop laughing when Hux was imitating the whole plot of Les Miserables when Ben failed to recognise Jean Valjean – either way, in the end, it was Boys’ team who won.

And so Armitage didn’t feel so useless when he was walking upstairs to his bedroom so he could go to sleep. He took his pyjamas out of his bag, as well as his hygiene things and a towel, and went to the bathroom. There were two in the cottage but one had only a toilet and basin, so they all would have to take turns in the one with the shower.

Phasma was downstairs cleaning up the living room and Emilia said that she would wash in the morning, so Hux hoped that Ben would wait.

Ben didn’t wait.

Hux was in the middle of brushing his teeth and inspecting his eyes, because he could swear, that he had something in the left one even though it appeared that there was nothing, when Ben burst inside like a stampede wearing nothing but his briefs. Hux nearly choked on his toothpaste.

“Fuck, I’m sorry! I didn’t know that somebody was in here….” Ben hastily apologized and rubbed his neck. He really hadn’t known that somebody would be in there and he was eager to get into the shower; his muscles and back were all stiff from the ride here. Ben took in the scene in front of him. Hux was standing by the basin in indigo pyjama pants and a white t-shirt, which was clinging to his semi-wet torso. “I’ll come back later,” he nodded and saw that Hux was looking at him through the mirror.

“Okay,” Hux nodded, taken aback by Ben’s physique and his briefs, which were printed with a big Darth Vader mask right in the middle of his crotch. How old was he? And how come that he hadn’t noticed how well built Ben was? Emilia really had good taste. This boyfriend was probably the first one that had real defined muscles. “Nice underwear.” He nodded towards the incriminating piece of clothing and was trying really hard not to laugh. Or at least not to snort. Which was adequately hard.

Ben looked down as if he didn’t know what he was wearing and laughed a little. “Oh yes, thanks! I have plenty of them; it was a whole collection.”

“You have a full collection of Star Wars underwear?” Hux quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah! I bought it at the ComicCon last summer,” Ben nodded and leaned against the doorframe, hanging his towel on his shoulder.

“You were at the ComicCon? I always wanted to go there but never had the guts or time to do it….” Hux shook his head and rinsed his mouth.

“We can go together in the summer, if you want to; could be fun,” Ben smiled. “I mean…. Not only us, but with some other people. My friends, probably.”

Hux smiled at him. “You would like to go there with me? Do you need a parental guide or something?” He laughed a little.

“No, but you need someone to take you out.”

Hux shook his head and pushed past him. “Goodnight, Ben.”


	6. Chapter 6

Ben came back to his and Emilia’s room with his head empty, right away after he had showered. He always completely zoned out when in the shower, because of the way the water was going down his body and warming it after the whole day. It was something that he learned to cherish after living in a flat with no hot water for almost two years at the college.

When he slowly closed the door behind him, he looked to the bed where Emilia was lying and reading something on her phone. “Hello there,” he mumbled against her bare shoulder when he sneaked into the bed next to her. “You’re cold.” He shivered a little when he got under their blanket and felt her freezing feet.

“I’m not; you’re just heated up from the shower.” Emilia quickly shut down her internet browser and nuzzled his nose with hers. “Hey,” she smiled gently and kissed him.

Ben kissed her back. “What were you reading? Something you don’t want me to see that you closed it so quickly?” He grabbed her phone and opened the tabs. “Let me see,” he murmured.

“Ben! Give it back! It’s nothing, just a novel!”

“A novel?” Ben smirked at her, not looking at the text. “Which one?”

“Well, it’s not…. I don’t know, it’s a fantasy novel, give it back....” She frowned and tried to reach her phone, which was now held high by Ben’s long arm.

“A fantasy novel?” He raised his eyebrows. “Please, do tell.”

“You won’t know it, it’s nothing famous. Just give it to me.”

“I’ll give it back when you stop lying.”

“Okay, I’ll stand up if you want it so much but give it back!” She punched him in his shoulder.

“Hahah, you know that that’s not what I meant. It’s not a novel, is it? It’s some porn fiction on that site of yours, am I right?” Ben laughed silently, wiggling his eyebrows. Emilia got redder than tomato and Ben knew he’d struck a nerve. “I knew it, let’s look at what it’s about, hm? Something I might like?”

“No!” She finally stole her phone back and put it under her pillow. “It’s nothing you would like, it’s… it’s from the Harry Potter universe,” she admitted quietly and glared at him. 

“Harry Potter? But I love Harry Potter! That’s the reason I started hitting on you, you know? Because I always wanted a red haired girlfriend, someone like Ginny, she was so cool in the books…. Though I hated her in the movies, she was really boring and absolutely anti-hot. Blah.” Ben made a face and Em rolled her eyes.

“You’re an idiot and I won’t discuss this with you.”

“Why not?” Ben pursed his lips and smiled crookedly, showing his uneven teeth. He loved making fun of her; she was adorable when she was fuming. 

“It’s about two guys, okay? I’m sure you wouldn’t be into that stuff.” Emilia rolled on her side with her back towards Ben. She closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep. Her response seemed to do sometime since Ben fell silent. When it was a few minutes passed and he still hadn’t said anything, she got a little bit worried and looked over her shoulder. “Ben? Are you dead?” Ben was most certainly not dead; he was staring at her with an expression that she couldn’t quite place. “Are you alright?”

Ben kept staring at her for another few seconds and then slowly blinked. “You read gay porn on the internet?”

“No!” She punched him again a little. “It’s not porn per se,” she huffed. “It’s romantic, you know? Do we have to talk about this?” Emilia groaned when Ben nodded his head and pulled her closer so she was now lying on his chest.

“Isn’t it a little bit weird to read gay porn when your dad is gay?”

“Isn’t it a little bit weird to watch straight porn when your parents are heterosexual?”

“Okay, good point,” Ben chuckled and hugged her tighter. “We should probably sleep; you look horrible when you are not well rested.”

“Fuck you, Ben.”

 

The morning came, as did Ben in the shower (twice) in the evening. When he woke up, Emilia was already dressing near the window. He was silently watching the curve of her ass as she was fighting the material of her jeans while trying to squeeze into them. “Good morning,” Ben yawned and stretched his arms above his head.

Emilia turned to him and smiled, “Morning, honey. Did you sleep well?”

“I did,” Ben nodded and rubbed his eye. “Why you’re up so early?”

“I’m not; it’s almost nine in the morning.”

“Nine in the morning is early, you crazy person.” Ben hid his head under the blanket, refusing to collaborate in the life of woken people.

“My dad was here half an hour ago; he woke me up. He said that Gwen wants to go hiking or something, and that breakfast is ready.” She pulled on a pink sweatshirt and smiled at him.

“Your dad was here? What if we were naked?” Ben peeked out.

“We were not. Don’t worry; he didn’t see your precious body.”

“Shame,” Ben shrugged. “I’m shredded.”

Emilia laughed and shook her head. “Sure you are.”

When Ben came down to the dining room, everybody was dressed and already eating. “Good morning,” Phasma smiled at him from her cup of coffee. He just nodded and sat down. “Not a morning person, I see,” she added and continued eating. Ben looked around the table and noticed that one person was missing, was Hux still sleeping? No, he couldn’t be, Emilia told him that he had woken her up.

Ben yawned and mussed his hair. “I’m going for a smoke.” He nodded at the two ladies at the table and with swift steps went out of the house. He was hoping that he would see Hux there even though he had no idea why. This was starting to get ridiculous.

It started the moment Ben saw Hux there on the threshold of his house, tipsy and absolutely glowing. Then it had continued with stalking Emilia’s Facebook photos from family gatherings. Ben knew he was trapped when he stumbled across her album “Mini-me”. Hux had been stunning when he was still young and what appeared to be happy, and the upcoming years only did him justice. He could say that apart from some new wrinkles on his face and his cheeks being a little bit more hollow, he looked almost the same. Ben’s mum said this many times about his father, that some people age with grace because they clearly won the DNA jackpot. Mr. Hux was definitely one of these people. It was probably unfair towards Emilia but he was in deep and Hux wouldn’t want him anyway, so what harm could a little flirting could do?

Looking up, Ben noted he had been right. Mr. Hux was sitting on the bench on the veranda with a cigarette in between his fingers, speaking to someone on the phone. Ben leaned against a slope by the stairs and gazed at nature in front of him, inconspicuously listening to Hux’s call, because when he said that he was going to smoke, he didn’t really think about it and didn’t bring his cigarettes. Luckily for him, his eavesdropping was successful; Hux clearly belonged to the group of people who had their phones set up illogically loud. 

_ “Will you be able to come or not? I can be there at three o’clock; you’re working until two if I remember correctly so I thought that it would be okay with you.”  _ Ben could hear a pleasant voice coming from the speaker next to Hux’s ear. It sounded almost compassionate.

Hux sighed and dragged from his cigarette. “Sure, I can be there on time. There is only one problem, I don’t have a lawyer yet.” He looked towards Ben and then back at his shoes.

_ “You don’t have a lawyer? It’s been a week, Armitage. I thought that I sent you all the papers.” _

“Yes, but I was busy. There was too much work at school. I’ll try to find someone until Wednesday, I promise. I don’t want to slow you down since you’re apparently so eager to get rid of me,” Hux was trying to keep his voice down and calm but was failing.

_ “Armitage, that’s not-“ _

“See you on Wednesday, Poe. Bye.” Hux hung up and put his phone next to him on the bench. Ben turned around, trying to come up with something to say and taking in how soft he looked. “Good morning.”

Ben smiled a bit and nodded. “Morning. Your husband?” Hux nodded. “Can I join you?” Hux nodded again and put the cigarette between his lips. Ben moved to the bench and sat down next to him, carefully pushing the phone closer to Hux’s leg. “He sounded like a jerk. Can I steal you one?” He pointed at the pack and when Hux nodded for the third time, he served himself.

“He wants to meet in five days and sign the papers, talk about the money and property. It’s easy for him to say, he’s his own lawyer so it’s not like he has to pay himself.” Hux breathed out the smoke. “I bet you don’t want to talk about this. I won’t bore you with my lame life,” he laughed a little and shook his head.

Ben looked at him. He had a handsome profile. His nose was nice and straight with a little bobble at the tip; Ben liked nice and straight noses – maybe because his own was somehow too big for his own liking. “Okay, you’re probably right,” Ben mumbled. Hux probably noticed that he was stared at and looked at him. Ben smiled. “What would you like to talk about? The weather? Nature? Emilia told me that Gwen wants to go hiking.”

Hux nodded. “Yes, she wants to go see some animal’s farm or something. I don’t know. I stopped listening when she said that Arthur would be there.” He rolled his eyes and threw the cig into the ashtray, which lay on the windowsill behind them, and Ben laughed. “I don’t know why you’re laughing! I’m serious. If Phas thinks that I could ever be with someone who thinks that the capital city of France is a croissant or macaron or-“

“The president of France is actually Macron, so that would be pretty close.” Hux stopped and stared at him for a moment before he burst out laughing. “What?! It’s true!” Ben smiled widely, noting that Emilia’s father was so freaking beautiful when he smiled. His eyes almost disappearing, cheeks going all pink and his shoulders going up to his ears. He looked like a sunshine impersonated and Ben had to mentally restrain himself so he wouldn’t jump on him and kiss him like there was no tomorrow. “How could that idiot leave you?” Ben breathed out in awe as the man before him calmed himself, breathing out deeply and looking at him with question marks in his eyes. “I mean… look at you! You’re… Well…”

“I’m what, Ben?”

“You are a good father, for example. You… you are smart and, and funny. You’re good looking and tall and did you know that only two percent of the population has green eyes?”

“No,” Hux shook his head and blinked, seemingly nervous. “I didn’t know that, no. I should probably go inside before my tea gets too cold.” He got up from the bench and took his mobile. “I made pancakes if you want some.”

Ben mouthed a quiet okay and stayed on the veranda.

 

Hux took a few calming breaths after he closed the main door and ran a hand through his hair. Was Ben flirting with him or was he just going crazy? He surely saw it for something it wasn’t. Why would this lad flirt with someone his age, moreover with the father of his girlfriend? He looked through the window next to the door at Ben’s back and sighed. No, it certainly wasn’t the case. He should start thinking rationally and not to dwell on his delusions.

“What did your darling husband want?” Phasma asked him as soon as he sat down and grabbed his tea mug.

Hux looked at her over the rim and shrugged. “He wants to meet on Wednesday and sign the papers about property et cetera.”

“Good, the sooner the better.” She smiled at him and Hux shook his head. “No?”

“I don’t have a lawyer, Phas. I was too busy at school; I didn’t have time to find someone. I will have to find someone on the net if I can find wireless here… Or I’ll look somebody up when I’m home, which will be splendid since I’ll have only two days to do it.” There went his plans on staying here longer. “Never mind….” He sipped his tea and gave her a little smile. “When do we leave?”

Phasma looked at her mobile and hummed. “In thirty minutes.”

“Will you take your camera, Gwen?” Emilia smiled at her and beamed when Phasma nodded. “Cool! I was hoping that you could take some photos of Ben and me and nature, it would be so romantic and everything! And you can take some pictures of dad, too! We can set a dating profile for him on the internet!” She grinned deviously and winked at him.

Phasma laughed and nodded. “Sure thing.”

“Great! I’ll go to tell Ben to wear something nice.” Emilia got up from the table and disappeared. When she was out of the house, Hux looked at his friend.

“Phas? What do you think about Ben?” He put down his mug and scratched his cheek, which was getting somehow itchy. He hoped that he wasn’t allergic to all these cosmetic things he bought.

“Ben? I don’t know. He’s too young for me.” She shrugged. “But Em seems to get along with him just well. Why?” Hux shrugged. “No.” She gaped at him and put a hand over her heart. “Armitage Hux, you can’t be serious!”

He blinked at her with fear, “No-! I didn’t mean it like this, you got me wrong, it’s-“

“What’s the matter?” They both turned around to face the man in question.

“Nothing,” Hux pipped and got up from his chair so fast that it fell over.  “I’m going to put on something warmer, I don’t want to freeze out there,” he said and quickly retreated.

Phasma shook her head after him and looked at Ben who was looking at Hux’s retreating figure on the stairs with a smirk. She sighed and put her face into her hands. Oh boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit shorter but I wanted to stop it here because there will be some action (finally) in the next chapter! :)


	7. Chapter 7

It was almost midnight and Hux was still tossing and turning in his bed, unable to fall asleep. He felt horrible. He should have said something, he should have stopped Ben right away and not play along. But did he play along or was it just… something different? It had happened naturally and Hux wasn’t making any forced actions that would mean that he was doing it too, or was he? Certainly not. Hux closed his eyes and turned to his side for the twentieth time since he laid down and huffed. He was an idiot; he couldn’t do this to his own daughter.

 

_ “Hux?” Armitage jerked when he heard his name coming from Ben. So he wasn’t Mr. Hux now, he was only ‘Hux’. Hux. He wondered if Ben knew his first name.  Huh. He looked at Ben from the sheep he was watching and raised an eyebrow. Emilia and Phasma were taking photos by the spring and the two of them were alone by the fold. _

_ “Yes?” _

_ “Do you have a lot of sheep in Ireland?” Ben looked at him with such an innocent look that he had to laugh.  _

_ “Well yes, we do. But I would say that there are more sheep in Scotland. We have cows too. They’re really nice, not skinny but…” _

_ “You have these fluffy looking cows with long hairs and stuff?” Ben’s eyes lighted up. _

_ “No, that would be Scotland too.” _

_ “Ah.” Ben nodded and went back to watching the sheep. _

 

Hux looked at the ceiling and sighed. There was no way that there was something more to it. Ben only wanted to talk. They were men and therefore they should talk to each other. About men's things. Like sheep, evidently.

 

_ "So… Do you like football?” Hux asked Ben when the silence was starting to get too awkward. _

_ Ben shook his head. “No, not really.” _

_ Hux hummed. _

_ “You?” _

_ “No, no… Me neither.” _

_ “Okay.” _

_ “I actually played it at school. I was in our school team. I hated it,” Hux laughed quietly, bemusedly looking at a little sheep, which was trying to eat a grass, which was far away; too far. _

_ “You played football? Aren’t you a little small for a football player?” Ben smirked and winked at him with his right eye. Armitage stared at him for a few seconds and  tried to swallow the question as if Ben was just quoting Star Wars. _

_ “Well no, I’m not,” he said defensively and shook his head. “I didn’t know that- oh. Right. You mean your American football; I meant soccer.” _

_ “Ah, right.” Ben nodded and went silent. _

 

Hux rubbed at his brows and sighed. This was going nowhere; he should go and have a smoke outside. He knew that he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep in the near future. He got up from his bed, put on some woollen socks he bought for his ever-cold feet and put on a thick Aran sweater. Taking a pack of cigarettes from his backpack, which he had taken to their hiking trip, Hux went downstairs as quietly as possible. He fetched a bottle of wine from the kitchen and disappeared outside onto the veranda. Hux sat down on his place there and lit a cigarette, trying not to shiver in the cold night. What a wonderful idea to go to Alaska in the middle of April. Really splendid. He had grown spoiled by the warm California weather, his resistance to cold long forgotten in his homeland.

 

_ “How did you two meet? I know at the university, but you never told me more,” Hux blurted out to save his own ass and to remind Ben that he had a girlfriend. The young man looked at him with a tense jaw; he clearly didn’t want to talk about this. _

_ “I was out for a drink with my friends. We were in some sketchy college bar, which name I don’t really remember, I’m horrible with names. Well and… Em was sitting at the bar with her friend; they were talking about something, laughing. And I really liked her so I went to say hello, bought her few drinks, we talked and talked and… that was probably it,” Ben nodded. Hux raised an eyebrow. “I’ve always had a thing for redheads, I’m not gonna lie. And Em is really pretty.” _

_ “She is, isn’t she? My sweet girl,” Hux smiled, “Sometimes I feel like she the only thing that I did well. And I regret it every day that I didn’t try hard enough for her to be with me more often when she was little.” _

_ “She told me that she lived with her mum until like… well until she went to the college.” Hux nodded. “Why? You don’t get along with her mum?” _

_ “That would be an understatement,” Hux laughed humorlessly and sighed. “When Beth found out that I’m gay, she told me that she never wanted to see me again and that she forbid me to contact her. That, logically, I couldn’t do. I didn’t want to lose my child. And so when I went to the States with Poe, he helped me find her and I tried to maintain some contact between us. It was to no use. Beth was feeding Emilia lies about how I abused her and that I am a horrible person who left them. Em probably hated me for the most of her life and I wouldn’t blame her. I spent time alone with her for the first time when she was fourteen years old. Fourteen,” Hux snorted. “I will never forget the way she was looking at me. As if I was some kind of monster, like she was afraid that if she said something wrong I’d punch her in the face. Or something worse.” _

_ “That’s horrible, Hux,” Ben breathed out with compassion and put an arm around his shoulders to draw him close. “I’m so sorry. But she loves you, trust me. She adores you. Which is something I completely understand. Have you always wanted to be a teacher?” Ben subtly changed the topic back to Hux. _

_ “I don’t think so, no. I wanted to work for NASA, to make spaceships and space stations. Or just something in space, I don’t know. I have always been good with math; I was way too smarter than other kids in school and I didn’t like to hide it so everybody just hated me.” Hux shook his hand with amusement. “I was a horrible kid. Too bossy and confident for his own good. You should have seen me, I had the bowl cut hairstyle and I always insisted on wearing proper clothing, like shirts and sweater vests. My mum loved me in those. She always said that I reminded her of her dad when he was little, that I would better fit in some other century. But in the end, I didn’t apply for the right school because my father didn’t want me to. He was discouraging me from it my whole life, always telling me that I was better than this, that he wouldn’t have me going to the filthy Americans and work for them as some subordinate engineer. I wanted to piss him off even more so I applied for school, which he probably hated more than Americans. And I went to become a teacher.” _

_ Ben laughed a little. “Parents often suck. I’m happy that mine are sucking less these days. They love me; they would never discourage me from my dreams.” Hux looked at him with bewilderment. “Shit. No! I didn’t mean it like that, sorry. I’m sorry.” _

_ “It’s okay. You’re probably right. My mother was the only one who ever loved me, my father took me for a nuisance and his golden wife… she only saw me for a broken toy.” _

_ “Yeah well, then they’re stupid.” _

_ Hux snorted. “Parents often are. They often do things that hurt their children. I swore to myself that I would never do anything that would hurt my daughter.” He looked Ben straight in the eyes. “I’ll never hurt her, Ben. Not even because of you and your pretty words. Remember that.” _

_ “Did you know that your daughter reads gay porn on the internet?” _

 

Ben walked out from the house and drew his jacket closer to his body. He breathed out smoke from the cigarette, which he lit on his way to the door and nearly choked on it when he heard voice from behind his back. “Trouble sleeping?” He turned around and saw Hux sitting on the bench with a half-full bottle of wine in his hands; he had a red nose and cheeks, slightly glossy eyes and bed-hair.

“Yeah,” Ben nodded. “Mind if I join you? Why aren’t you sleeping?” Hux lifted the bottle a bit as if it was the answer. “Ah, okay. Did you drink all that by yourself?”

“Yes sir,” Hux saluted him and snorted. “I did. Just like the miserable person I am. All I need is a cat who would eat me in my home when I die. Alone and old and with wine all around my place. Do you want some?” Ben nodded with hesitation. “Then go and fetch some, I’m not sharing.” He hugged the bottle closer to his body and growled at him. “My precious,” Hux hissed.

Ben laughed a little at the sight of him and blew smoke into Hux’s face. “I’ll pass then. I don’t want to go back inside, it’s too far.”

Hux was still looking at him with disdain and cradling his bottle. “Too far for you legigsis? Look bottle, Benny is too lazy to walk on his legigsis for his wine!” He was whispering insidiously to it.

Ben tried to maintain a straight face but burst out laughing. “Oh my god, you’re the shittiest Gollum I’ve ever seen!”

Hux pursed his lips in annoyance and sighed sadly. “Shame. But…! Wait ‘til you hear my Yoda!” He cleared his throat and swallowed another gulp of wine. “Do or do not, there is no try!” Hux said in the exact Yoda voice and Ben blinked. “What? Like it did you, hmm?  Yes, hmmm,” he continued with the same voice and Ben started laughing again.

“Oh my god, that was the best thing ever! Say something else! Please! Say I’m going to die alone and be eaten by cats.” Ben smirked and Hux gave him a slap but smiled nevertheless.

“Going to die alone and be eaten by cats, I am.” Hux nodded and laughed a little. “Okay, that’s enough. This is excessively embarrassing. I’ve just told you my darkest secret, my little party trick.”

“Embarrassing? First thing, saying excessively after almost a whole bottle of wine is admirable. And secondly, it was adorable; you’re adorable. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” Ben bit his lip when Hux gave him a stern look, which wasn’t believable at all since he was smiling sleepily.

“Ben, what I told you today, I meant it. I… I don’t know what you’re trying to do here but Em is my daughter and you’re her boyfriend. And I’m… I’m not adorable, I am absolutely another league, and…I’m not even divorced yet. And you’re too young, and… I’m…I’m her father Ben. This is… This can’t be…No, no…I’m sorry…” He was babbling and speaking too fast, his tongue felt clumsy but he needed to tell him this. Even though it probably didn’t make any sense or Ben just didn’t want to listen because he took his hand somewhere during his monologue.

“Don’t be sorry, Hux,” Ben mumbled and shook his head. “I didn’t want to be pushy or mean, and I know that she’s your daughter and she’s a wonderful girl but…”

“How long have you two been together?”

“A month.”

“A month. And how long have you known me?”

“Well…A week? But not like a real week since we weren’t together the whole week but only…So..”

“I think that you’ve just answered yourself, Ben.” Hux drank some more. “You don’t even know me.”

“But I’m trying to, I really am… Em is wonderful, she is… She’s smart and pretty and all these things but…When I saw you, when I first saw you, I was like wow, this guy is gorgeous. And you’re a Math and History teacher, so you are probably like a genius or something. And you… Your eyes, they’re… I’m not sure if they’re green or blue but what I mean is that they are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen. Like for real. And you can imitate Yoda and do a shitty Smeagol, which is so cool that-”

“Ben,” Hux put his bottle down on the ground and put his hand over Ben’s hand, which was still on his other hand. (Good thing that they weren’t octopuses or this sentence would be much longer) “I will ignore the fact that you’ve just quoted that awful Elton John song.” Ben blushed. “The first time you saw me, did you really think that? The first time you saw me? Or was it after Phasma’s attack on me?” 

“Well…”

“Right,” Hux sighed and got up, but Ben stopped him in the middle of his movement and pushed him down onto his lap. “What are you doing?” His head swam a little.

“Don’t go. Please,” Ben mumbled and nuzzled his nose against Hux’s cheek. “Please.”

“Ben, I have to. Let me go.” Hux tried to pull away but couldn’t move an inch. “Ben.”

“No,” Ben murmured and squeezed him harder. “I won’t let you go; you have to give me a chance.”

“Ben, your girlfriend is upstairs, we can’t do this, I can’t do this. I’m a re-responsible adult,” Hux felt that his tongue was getting more and more tangled. “And I have to stop this.”

“Oh shut up already,” Ben groaned and caught his lips with his own. Hux’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.

“What are you-“ He pushed himself away but Ben pulled him closer again and Hux’s eyes fluttered shut. He was too drunk to think straight. And Ben was a too much good kisser.  


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the lovely comments and kudos!

Hux slowly opened his eyes. He was feeling as if everything around them was set in the slow motion. His head was pleasantly spinning from the alcohol and from the sudden fluttering he was feeling in his chest. He took a deep breath and tried to steady himself. As he set his palms against Ben’s chest, he swallowed. “Ben,” Hux mumbled and lifted his gaze. Ben was looking at him with half-lidded eyes, a small and lazy smile on his lips.

“Yes?” Ben whispered and caressed Hux’s cheek with his thumb.

“Goodnight,” Hux mumbled and got up from his lap as steadily as he could. When he got the door and opened it, he rubbed his lips together and closed his eyes for a moment. Suddenly, he was feeling very cold despite the alcohol in his system. Hux opened his mouth to say something but when he looked back at Ben, who was touching his lips with his fingertips and looking at him, he changed his mind and went inside; closing the door behind him.

He quietly walked up the stairs and shut himself in his room. He had just kissed his daughter’s boyfriend. What was he doing? Was it the alcohol? Was it the fact that he felt lonely and desperate enough to do something so monstrous? He let out a deep breath and rubbed his face, tears stinging in his eyes.

Yes. It was only his desperation, nothing else. Nothing more.

Hux kicked off his shoes and took off his sweater; he fell into his bed and curled into the sheets. Ben couldn’t be in love with him, they didn’t know each other. It was just a… crush. He probably had some unsolved daddy issues and Hux wouldn’t be his cure, he couldn’t be. Hux was a responsible adult. He had his dignity and was a teacher; he had to set some moral example and not do this.

It was all Poe’s fault.  If Poe hadn’t decided to leave him. If Poe hadn’t decided to throw it all away. He’d promised Hux forever and instead, he got this. Fifteen years, a broken heart and an empty bed. Hux squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could, biting his lip. His head was swimming and he felt as if he was going to be sick.

 

_ “Are you going to be sick?” _

_ Armitage was sitting in front of the vanity table, touching his hair in a nervous manner, he needed it to be perfect. This was their big day after all; he couldn’t afford to look mediocre. When he looked behind his shoulder in the mirror, he could see Phasma who was peeking into his rented room. He gave her a little smile. “No, I’m okay. I’ve… I’ve never felt better, actually. The greatest man in the world wants to marry me and he’s going to do it today. I couldn’t be happier.” He nodded with an ecstatic smile. _

_ “Can I come in?” She smiled and without waiting for an answer came inside, closing the door. “You look gorgeous, darling. Can I see you?” She sat down on his bed and beamed. _

_ “Thank you,” he smiled faintly and got up from his chair. He felt a little bit stiff since he had been sitting there for two hours, trying to calm his nerves and going through everything that would happen in several minutes. When he turned around to face his friend, she breathed out in awe and smiled widely. “Do I look okay?” _

_ “Okay?” She got up from the bed and crossed the room towards him. “You’re beautiful. Oh my god, it’s a shame you’re gay, I would gladly take Poe’s place,” she laughed and took his hands. “You’re dashing, really.”  _

_ Hux blushed a little bit and turned to face the mirror. He was wearing a custom made dark blue suit. His stepmother had paid for it, probably as an apology for not coming to their wedding. It was not an official wedding, naturally, but it was a wedding nevertheless. The pants of his suit were making his already long legs almost endless. He had a white shirt with high mandarin collar and his suit jacket was making his shoulders just a little bit broader. “You should definitely wear blue more often; it does wonders with your hair colour. I bet one hundred pounds that Poe’s going to cry when he sees you.” _

_ “You don’t even have a fifty, Gwen,” Hux laughed a little and turned to face her. _

_ “I’ll give them to you when I’m rich and famous, you just have to wait,” she laughed and pulled him into her arms. _

_ In a half an hour, Poe did cry indeed. _

 

Poe.

Hux opened his eyes and shifted so he could take his phone from the charger on the nightstand. He unlocked it and groaned when the light blinded him. Great. Now he was not only a monstrous father but also a blind monstrous father. He squinted at the contact list and hovered with his thumb over his name. His lip trembled. This was probably the worst idea he had in a… no, kissing Ben was far worse.

“Hello?” Came hoarse voice after what felt like an eternity. “It better be Queen of the fucking England, it’s….fucking hell, it’s past two in the morning.”

“Poe, I’m…I’m sorry,” Hux mumbled, laying on his back and staring at a spider on the ceiling. “I didn’t want to wake you up, I’m sorry.”

Poe sighed into the speaker. “’T’s ‘kay,” he yawned, and Hux felt a little pang of guilt in his stomach. “Is everything alright? Why are you…Why are you calling me in the middle of the night?” Hux could hear that Poe was trying really hard not to fall back asleep; but he was willing to talk to him. And that was a good sign, wasn’t it?

“No, nothing’s alright. It’s just… I hate you so much right now. If it wasn’t for you, none of this would have happened! I would have never done anything like this!” He hiccupped, his accent slipping into his natural brogue. “I hate you and I want you to remember this. You’re the worst man on this planet, you’re not a man, no… you’re a… you’re a scumbag! Yes, yes… a scum, an idiotic scum full of shite…I don’t even know what to call you because there are no words for how horrible person you are!”

“Armitage, are you drunk?” Poe asked with a flat tone. Hux was capable of pretending not to be as Irish as he truly was while sober but when he had few drinks this ability usually went to shit. Poe always thought it was funny and cute but right now, he was starting to feel a little bit frightened since one could never know what an Irish drunk man could do when angry; at least that’s what his new lover said.

“Yes!” Hux said defensively and sat up. “I am drunk but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re an asshole,” he sniffed. “Can you… Can you tell me one thing, Poe? And if you could be honest with me, I would really appreciate it, that’s if you’re capable of telling the truth, of course, and not talking shite,” he hissed. “Why did you do it? What does he have that I don’t? Does he have a magic dick or something? Or a magical ass? It’s the latter isn’t it?” he snorted with disdain.

“Armitage, I really don’t think that this is the right time to talk about this. You’re clearly out of your mind; you’re not making any sense.”

“Babe, who is it?” There was a second voice in the background. Hux was in shock the first time he heard him back in his own bedroom in his own bed with his own husband, but he recognized him clearly.

Hux tensed. “He’s there with you?” He was jealous and he hated it. He hated the tight feeling forming in his chest, he couldn’t breathe. He was starting to shake again, he knew he was hyperventilating but couldn’t do anything to stop it. “That’s why you can’t talk about it? Because that fucker is there with you?” He practically growled. He couldn’t care less that he’s acting like a heartbroken teenage girl, he was drunk, he had the right to behave as he wanted.

“Goodnight, Armitage,” Poe sighed and ended the call. Hux stared at his mobile phone with such a hate that the poor device beeped in fear and shut down. Or it was just its low battery.

 

When Ben and Emilia got down to the breakfast the next morning, Phasma was sitting there with Arthur, chatting about her stay in Tokyo where she was working for the last three months. As soon as she heard them she looked up and smiled. “Good morning, we were starting to get afraid that we’ll die from starvation here. Today’s your turn to make breakfast.”

“Our turn?” Ben blinked in confusion. Hux, just like yesterday, was missing. Ben thought that it was because of Arthur being here.

“Yes, your turn. Armitage and I cooked yesterday so today it’s up to you.”

Emilia groaned a little and grabbed Ben’s forearm. “Come, love, we’ll make them some cereal. Where is dad anyway?”

“Your dad left two hours ago.”

“What?!” Emilia turned around from the counter. “What do you mean that he left? Where did he go?”

“Home.” Phasma shrugged.

“Home?”

“Yes, home. He was saying something about him having too much work to do, and that he just can’t be here because he would go crazy if he had to look at “his stupid face for another day”. No offence, Arthur.” She looked at her friend, who just waved his hand – probably already resigned. But Ben knew better, he bit his cheek and sighed. Closing his eyes for a moment, he was glad that he had his back towards them. It was because of him, he was the one with a stupid face, he was the one who fucked everything up and with whom Hux didn’t want to be here anymore.

“And you let him go? Just like that? What about our car?” Em frowned. “I’m going to call him; he can’t leave without saying anything,”

“I took him to town and he took a taxi there, so don’t worry, your car is still there,” said Arthur. “He said that he’ll call you when he’s back home.”

Emilia was still pursing her lips in disdain but she nodded. “Okay,” she mumbled. “Fine.” She turned around and went to get some milk from the refrigerator. “Bloody bastard.”

 

“Good morning, Mr. Hux! I’m happy to see that you’re back with us.”

It was Wednesday morning, his first day at school after that horror which happened in Alaska. He took two days off; he needed to sort his life. His priorities. And most importantly he didn’t want any distraction or people in his life. He told the school director that he’s sick and since it was his first days off since September, the school director gladly let him rest. He felt bad for lying to him but his mental state was currently more important than his pupils were. And he needed to get a lawyer, probably a very good one since he was sure that Poe will fleece him after his Saturday’s outburst.

“Well yes, good morning, director. It was just a cold, I’m good as new.” Hux smiled at the director whom he met on his way to his first class.

“I’m glad to hear this. Miss Goldstein was starting to be a little bit desperate with your class, she says that they’re an insufferable lot and that I pay her too little to deal with these children.”

Hux laughed, he knew that he had to laugh even if he didn’t find it funny at all. Miss Goldstein was an old lady who probably lived in a rainbow land with princesses; she was the most naïve teacher who he’d ever met. He knew his kids. They needed discipline and not…her. He didn’t know what was the director thinking when he assigned her as their substitute History teacher. But knowing Krennic’s maliciousness, it was probably it.

“I’m sorry to hear that. Well, I have to go to class or they’ll start a revolution thinking it’s her who’s still supposed to be there with them today.” Hux smiled.

“Yes, yes, I won’t detain you. Your soldiers need you.” Krennic laughed, patted his shoulder and continued walking in the opposite direction.

“Of course, thank you.” Hux nodded and fixed his messenger bag on his shoulder. “My little soldiers, that’s right. Soldiers who think that I’m a mafia boss now,” he sighed and opened the door to his morning class. 

As soon as he stepped into the room, his students literally jumped up from their places to greet him, evidently happy that Miss Goldstein went back to where she came from. “Good morning, class. I’m happy to see that you all managed to wake up on time.” He smiled at them and put his bag next to the table. “I heard that Miss Goldstein had a hard time with you. You know that you shouldn’t be mean to other teachers, right?” He sighed when he saw their smirks. “Sit down and pull out your history books; where did you finish with her?” He took off his jacket and put it on the hanger near the door.

“We’ve just started with the Nazis, boss. She told us when that war started and when it finished and that there were some badass idiots and camps, sir. Then we moved on to…I can’t fucking remember,” said Daniel from the back. Hux looked at him and then at the rest of the class. He sighed and rubbed his face.

“Language, Daniel. Or you’ll see me after the school.” He frowned and laced his fingers behind his back. “Alright class, we’ll look at it from the beginning, since this is an inappropriate way to-“ there was a hand in the air, “-Yes?”

“But we don’t even have it in the syllabus, Mr Hux, we’re not supposed to learn it in details. She told us so when we wanted to see some videos.”

“I don’t care what Miss Goldstein said, I’m your teacher and I say that we’ll start it from the beginning.”

“Can’t we just watch Captain America or something?” Asked one of the girls.

“No, we cannot. The Second World War was portrayed in that movie in a very misleading way. There were no super soldiers, no men with red skulls and certainly no tesseracts.” The whole class stared at him in disbelief, “What? Your boring teacher can’t have a knowledge about comics?” He smirked deviously. The truth was, he didn’t have the knowledge. He just happened to listen to Ben during their journey to the animal farm about it. “Now, your books.” He took his notes and got to teaching.

 

It was after lunch, just as he got back to his office, when his misfortune struck again. There was a knock on the door; he wanted to ignore it but Rey was her normal overeager self and jumped from her chair to open it. “I’ll get it!”

“You know that when you say it after you are already up, it loses its sense, right?” He grumbled and continued in peeling his tangerine. He wondered if he could go to the director and tell him that he wanted Rey to be moved somewhere else. Their subjects didn’t go together and wasn’t she supposed to be with someone with similar specialisation? She was teaching PE, Drama, and Music. Why couldn’t she be with her fellow friends? He would probably tell Hux that it was because he was the only one with a free place in his office.

“Hux? Are you listening to me?”

Hux blinked at looked at her with confusion. “Hm?”

“These are for you.” She handed him a large bouquet of pink roses, daisies, and marguerites.

“What?” He huffed. “For me?” He took the flowers from her hand and looked at them. It was a beautiful bouquet indeed, and it had a note with his name on it.

“Let me!” Rey grabbed the note and opened it with a wide smile. “Dear Hux, please don’t be angry with me. I am sorry if I hurt you in any way. I hope that you like flowers; it just occurred to me that I’ve never asked. Wish you luck during today’s divorce session. May the force be with you, Ben.” She frowned and looked him. “What the fuck, Hux??” Hux snatched the note from her hand and threw it into the garbage. “You’re getting a divorce? And who the hell is this Ben? Why did he send you flowers? And why would you be angry with him?” She was firing off her questions and it was giving Hux a headache he didn’t need or want. Hux rubbed his temples.

“And this is exactly why I didn’t want you to know. I swear that you are the nosiest person I know,” he sighed, fighting the ever-growing urge to bang his head against his desk. But Rey just crossed her arms and glared him. “Would you stop looking at me like that? I have no obligation to tell you anything. It’s not my fault that you don’t know your place and have a need to stick your nose into things that are none of your business!”

“Yes, because you never tell anything to anyone. That’s why you have no friends. And I bet that it’s surely the reason why you’re getting a divorce, right? Because you’re such an insufferable asocial idiot!”

Hux saw red; he got from his chair so quickly that the chair rolled over towards Rey’s table. His hand was acting on its own as he slapped Rey across her cheek. “How dare you speak to me like this,” he sneered, his upper lip curling. “I am not one of your stupid friends you can speak to me like I am a moron, do you understand?!”

“Of course,” she pipped with fear. She’d never seen him like this, this frightening. His cheeks were all red and his eyes were cold as ice.  He was trembling with anger and she was trembling with fear. “I…I have to go,” she stuttered and fled from the office.


	9. Chapter 9

„I shouldn’t have done that.“

Hux really shouldn’t have done that.

“They’re going to fire me.”

If Rey told the director, they would probably fire him.

“At least she’s not one of the students.”

Yes, that would be much worse.

“But she’s my colleague.”

Yes, Hux was fucked.

He looked at the bouquet laying on his table and sighed. It was all Ben’s fault. He got up and went on a hunt for a vase since they didn’t have any in their office. He made it only past the toilets when he heard Rey talking to somebody.

“Yes, I’m alright. Of course that I will come tonight, I…I don’t want to miss the chance to see you embarrass yourself in front of the whole university.” He could hear her trying not to sob into the phone. At least she wasn’t calling the police, that was good. And she certainly wasn’t talking to Krennic, which was even better. Maybe if Hux waited a little bit longer, he would hear her telling that person on the phone that everything is all right and that there is no need for them to come to the school.

Hux has always been a punctual man and so he was sitting in the lobby of Poe’s law firm exactly five minutes earlier than he was supposed to. However, it seemed that his lawyer wasn’t a punctual woman. He could only be happy that Poe’s concept of time was non-existent. And so when they entered the meeting room ten minutes later, he didn’t even notice they were late.

Poe immediately got up from his chair behind the table and smiled at Hux’s lawyer with a wide smile, shoving his mobile phone into his back pocket. “Good afternoon, I’m Poe Dameron. Please, sit down.” He offered her his hand and then pointed towards the two chairs on the opposite side of the table in a friendly manner. Hux looked at him without a word and stayed standing, Poe looked more relaxed than he expected. Gone was his traditional suit, he was wearing a white shirt with orange bowtie and black braces along with black jeans rolled up just above his ankles. Non-formal Wednesdays were probably still a thing in here.

Hux’s lawyer sat down after she shook Poe’s hand and smiled pleasantly. “Nice to meet you, Mr Dameron. I heard quite a lot about you,” she said and started taking out things from her purse.

Poe laughed. “Yes, I am sure that Armitage has-” he finally looked at his soon-to-be-ex-husband and froze. He certainly wasn’t expecting what he saw. He was expecting Hux to come in his usual attire, which consisted of slacks and shirt with a tie and hair in a ponytail, “-what the fuck,” he breathed out barely above a whisper and blinked. Hux looked good, better than good actually, he looked absolutely dashing. Poe looked up from his perfectly polished black shoes to his long legs in black slim fit trousers to the white shirt with slim black tie and bright pastel blue suit jacket, which fitted his lithe form perfectly. Gone were the long locks hastily put behind his ears, Hux had his hair cropped short just above his ears and combed back. Poe must have been staring because Armitage cleared his throat and shook his head in a rather bored motion. “Well,” Poe shook himself out of his reverie, “I’m not sure what he has told you but I can assure you that I’m not half that bad.” Poe sat down back into his chair and tried not to stare at his spouse who sat down next to his lawyer across from him.

“Since we have been in a kind of time pressure, Mr Hux only told me that you cheated on him and that you demanded a divorce.”

Poe nodded. “Yes, that’s true. I have prepared all the papers here,” he pushed the papers towards them. His eyes fell upon Hux's face, he wasn’t looking at him. He was intently watching the photography behind him on the wall. “I don’t want anything more from him than what I’ve already taken. He can keep the house and car. But I’ll want the half of the prize of the house to be paid to me in a year maximum.”

“What?” Hux looked at him with anger, “I can’t pay you this much money, Poe. I am a teacher, not a thief.”

“I know that you have your money, Armitage. It’s not like you’re from a poor family, am I right?” Poe smiled kindly and looked at Hux’s lawyer for affirmation. “I’m sure that this won’t be a problem, his family was the reason he kept his surname. He has the money.”

“Poe, don’t do this…” Armitage whispered and looked at him with pleading eyes. Surely he wouldn't want him to crawl back to his father and beg him for money.

“You can always take out a mortgage, Armitage. I won’t back up on this. I need the money; and you need a roof over your head for you and for Emilia.”

Hux just shook his head and set his jaw, how could he dare to bring Emilia to this. She was not his daughter.

Hux’s lawyer was scribbling notes on her paper and nodding, “I’m sure that my client and I can come up with a payment schedule. He didn’t tell me that he has money aside, which I find really helpful in this situation.”

“I don’t have any money aside!”

Poe snorted.

“It’s not mine. It’s my father’s and he won’t give me a penny from it since I married you.” He looked at the black haired man and sneered.

“Mr Hux, I am sure that there’s no need to be angry, we will work this out, you don’t have to worry.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be on my side?!” He looked at her incredulously.

“I am on your side but I can’t have you keeping information from me.”

“I am not keeping any information from you, I haven’t seen my father for almost ten years, and he wasn’t even on our wedding.”

“Maybe he’ll come to the divorce then, don’t you think, Armitage?” Poe smirked and Hux clenched his palms into fists. He wanted to punch his ridiculously white teeth. But instead of punching him, he rolled his eyes and smiled. “Anyway, as you can see on the third page,” Poe addressed the lawyer, “I want to keep paying for Emilia’s university fees until she’s finished with her Master’s.” Now it was Hux’s time to be surprised. “You don’t have to look at me like this, I love her as my own and it’s not her fault that we two split. Kids shouldn’t pay for their parents’ mistakes.”

Hux just nodded. They shouldn’t. So why did he have a feeling that it wouldn’t be that simple?

After an hour of talking and discussing and bickering, Hux’s lawyer and Poe shook their hands and she left them alone in the meeting room. Hux was shoving his mobile into his messenger bag and searching for his car keys when Poe addressed him. “You look really good, Armitage. If that was what it takes to make you look like this, I would have done it sooner.”

Hux looked up from the inside of his bag. “What?”

Poe shook his head. “Nothing, it’s just that… I’m sorry that you had to found out like that. It wasn’t fair,” he sighed and leaned on the table.

“No, it certainly wasn’t.”

Poe nodded, biting his lower lip. “I’ve been seeing him for two months.” He admitted. “I haven’t felt as good as I feel when I’m with him for a really long time. You had to feel it too, that it wasn’t good between us. I had to do something before I started hating you. All the little things that I loved about you, that made you you, I didn’t want to hate them.”

“You’re not making any sense, Poe. I should get going.”

“No, you really shouldn’t.” Poe grabbed his arm, stopping him from going. “You wanted my reasons, so have them. I didn’t find you attractive anymore, that was the first thing. I don’t want to sound shallow, but one's looks is a really important thing for me, it always was and you know it. And I felt as if you cared more for your pupils than me, you didn’t look up to me anymore. I need someone who is dependent on me, I need someone I could spoil, I need to show them what they mean to me… and you were pushing me away. You didn’t want to go to the dinners anymore or to the galas, you didn’t want to go to the cinema or travel.”

Hux was looking at him in silence. He was trying to process what Poe was saying. Did he leave him for not being attractive? Did he leave him for someone who was not an independent self-sufficient person? He left him because he didn’t want to go to the cinema with him?

“And I feel so much younger with him, Hux. I don’t want to feel old. I really don’t… But you reminded me all the things that were and I realised that I can’t do this anymore if I don’t want to feel like some old coffin dodger.”

“Can I stop you here, please?” Poe nodded. “I didn’t want to go to your events because I was tired from work, I have to be there every day and then when I come home, I have to prepare for the next day. I never said that I didn’t want to travel, I just can’t leave whenever I want, because I am responsible for these kids in school, as you know! And… You… Well if you… If you didn’t think that I am attractive, then I am very deeply sorry, Poe, but I thought that love is about something more than just about looks. I have never been much of a looker but you liked me anyway, so why should it matter now? And you know what? Maybe you should start working out because I’m sure that that boy of yours is going to notice your growing stomach sooner or later. And these trousers look ridiculous on you, just so you know,” Hux spat out, put his bag over his head and left. He didn’t need to listen to this. 

When Hux got into his car, he fastened his seatbelt and groaned. He had to close his eyes, he was trembling, again, and he wanted to punch something… or rather someone. He let out a desperate whimper and rubbed his temples. He lied to Poe, he had a good body and he knew it. Why was he feeling bad about lying to him? That man was lying to him for two whole months!

He started up the engine when his phone started ringing. Just when he was about to zone out and drive home to absorb everything that happened today, from his outburst in the office to Poe telling him he was an ugly twat; the universe had other plans for him. As always. He looked on the screen and saw that it was Emilia texting him. He groaned and rubbed his face. Apparently, her drive home drove home without her and she wanted him to pick her up. He just hoped that Ben won’t be present.

He parked the car in the campus parking lot and got out of it, desperate for a cigarette. Just when he lit it up and was enjoying the bliss from slowly destroying his lungs, he heard a voice behind him.

“Excuse me, sir, you’re not allowed to smoke in the parking lot.” Hux turned around, there was a Hispanic looking young man, probably Emilia’s age or Ben’s age, looking at him with what was supposed to be a mean and stern glare. “There’s a sign, over there.” He pointed to the wall. “I will have to ask you for stub it out, sir.” Hux raised his eyebrows and laughed a little.

“I’m really sorry, officer.” He shook his head and tossed his cigarette on the ground. “Keep doing your job, I won’t bother you.” He closed the car and walked away from the parking lot; he hoped that Emilia wasn’t far. She wanted him to come for her so she should be waiting somewhere close. He walked up the stairs leading to the main campus square in the front of the main building, and lit up another cigarette.

Hux saw her coming out from the main building just when he finished smoking, she was talking to some black haired boy who definitely wasn’t Ben for he was probably just a few inches higher than Emilia and dressed in smart looking clothes. They were talking, he was blushing and she was laughing. Then they hugged, he put locks of her hair behind her ear and he kissed her cheek.

Hux blinked. Who was this guy? He waited until the mysterious entity was gone and Em looked at him, then he waved and waited for her to come closer.

“Hey,” he greeted her with reserved tone and started walking back towards his car. He kept quiet during their ride, he was irritated, angry even, and he didn’t want to be mean to her. However, he couldn’t stand it, Poe cheated on him, Poe was cheating on him for two months.

“Who was it?”

“Hm?” Emilia looked at him from her mobile phone. “Who was who?”

“That boy you were talking to,” he muttered. The boy who was apparently incapable of keeping his hands to himself.

“Oh, that… That was just one guy from our class,” she smiled. “He’s nice. He’s smart, he’s funny. Sometimes a little bit too quiet. Actually, he kinda reminds me of my father, you know?” She laughed. “You would like him; he has an internship in Caltech, would you believe that?”

“Are you cheating on Ben?” He looked at her when he stopped at the red lights.

“What?” She blinked.

“I asked you if you’re cheating on your boyfriend, it’s not a hard question.”

“I heard you the first time, you know? Why would you… No! I’m not, it’s not like I’m sleeping with that guy.” She rolled her eyes and got back to texting.

“It doesn’t matter if you slept with him, Emilia, Ben is a good person and he loves you and you can’t just throw him away like a used toilet paper when you feel that you got bored of him.”

“Okay, first… you’re being weird, dad. Like really. And what do you know about Ben anyway? He has issues, you know? And I’m not sure if I want to put up with him anymore… it’s not working out as I would like it to work out, okay? So what if I want to have a backdoor?” She looked at him as if he was the stupidest person in the universe and rolled her eyes.

“A backdoor? What the-… if you don’t want him then just break up with him and don’t do this, this is… I won’t have my own daughter cheating on her boyfriend; I won’t let you do this.”

“You won’t let me?!” She almost shrieked. “What’s wrong with you? It’s my life, you know? I can do whatever I like and if I want to go and kiss other guys I will!” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared out of the window. “Just because that idiot cheated on you doesn’t mean that you can take it out on me,” she grumbled. “Don’t try to play a relationship expert here, you of all people, someone who couldn’t keep his own husband from leaving him.”

Hux felt his cheeks were growing hotter, he was feeling his insides tightening. “How dare you speak to me like this?! You’re my daughter. You will respect me, do you understand? You won’t talk to me like I’m one of your schoolmates.” He was trying not to raise his voice as he gripped the steering wheel and looked at her with anger, she was lucky he was driving or he was sure he would slap her. 

She turned to him and glared, “I wouldn’t speak like this to any of my friends!”

“Stop it,” he sneered.

“No! You know what? Stop the car, I’m going out. I’ll stay with my friends tonight, we wanted to go to see Ben’s play anyway. I can’t deal with this shit right now.”

“With this shit??”

“Yes! With you patronizing me!” She unfastened her seatbelt and started to open the door. Hux slammed the breaks and looked at her with bewilderment. “Thank you, dearly.” She got out of the car in the middle of the street and bowed down with mockery. “Sir.” She saluted him, closed the door with a smash and stalked in the opposite direction.

“Emilia!” He called after her but it was no use. Hux groaned and pulled his phone from his bag.  _ *You’re grounded.* _ He sent to her and when the car behind him started honking, he showed them a finger and pulled off.

Emilia didn’t come home that night, just like he suspected. She didn’t even answer her phone.

When Hux entered his office the next day, he had a box of chocolates with him. His key was still fitting the keyhole, which meant that he still had his job. After an incident two years ago, Krennic started changing locks whenever he fired someone. As he entered, he saw that Rey was already in there. He swallowed and tried to use his most friendly voice.

“Good morning,” he smiled at her when she turned around with one eyebrow raised.

“Good morning,” she grumbled and turned back to her computer.

“Rey, look… I’m sorry. I… I shouldn’t have slapped you, I was angry and you always keep pushing my buttons,” he sighed; she still wasn’t looking at him. “I had a meeting with my lawyer and Poe in the afternoon and it was too much for my nerves.”

She turned in her chair, biting her cheek, and looked him over. “I will accept your apology but I have few conditions.” She crossed her arms. “Firstly, you will start treating me like your colleague and not some nuisance. I’ve been dealing with your OCD, which you clearly have even when you say the opposite, for far too long and I think that I deserve that much. Secondly, you will tell me everything about Poe, you, and your little problem.  Thirdly, you will go to the cinema with me this evening because my idiotic cousin has clearly better things to do and I have already bought the tickets and lastly, is that a chocolate box in your bag?”

Hux looked at his bag and nodded, pulling out the candies and handing them to her. “It’s from Ireland. My favourite. They’re caramels with pieces of chocolate. I’ve ordered them online for myself but… It’s yours now.” He nodded and she accepted the box with glee. “I’m not sure about the cinema thing, it’s…”

“Bullshit. You’re coming with me or I’ll stab you with your precious fountain pen.” She glared at him and since she looked like she really meant it, he just nodded and sat down. “You’ll pick me up at seven; I’ll give you my address.”

“Do I want to know what the film is?”

“Oh! It’s a re-run of the first Lion King!”

Hux groaned and put his face into his palms.

“And now, tell me everything about the divorce!” Rey clasped her hands together and pouted.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days?

“That sucks royal hippogriff!” Rey exclaimed when Hux finished his story during their common break between classes. He didn’t tell her all the details just because he might need to keep her on his good side for now. He was not a trusting person and even though they were in the same office for quite a time, he didn’t know her and that meant that he wouldn’t spill his whole life story to her just because she asked. And not exactly nicely. “He told you that he didn’t find you attractive anymore? Look at you, you’re adorable! I mean… Now you’re adorable and hot in a hot teacher way but you were adorable before!” Hux thought something about babies being adorable and certainly not him but didn’t say anything and thanked her instead. “But you know what? He was too short for you anyway, next time you should find someone taller. By the way, I could ask my cousin and he could screw Poe over! We should make some plan… maybe we could go to his office and…and…beat the shit out of him!”

While Rey was talking about her tall cousin about which Hux didn’t give a fuck because he had this weird feeling that everyone in Rey’s family must be just as nosey as her; he was thinking about a certain someone. Ben was taller than he was. It was a centimetre or two but he was taller, did that count? Of course it did, and he liked it. Poe was definitely short. Phasma often laughed about it. God, she even asked them if Poe would stand on a crate during their kiss on their wedding.

“As welcoming as it sounds, Rey, I’m not sure if that’s legal. Plus I can’t imagine you going there and beating him up. No offence, but you look like you would snap in half. And I don’t want to make trouble for you or your family, so I will have to decline that offer.” He gave her an apologetic smile. Why was she acting as if they become best friends in five minutes time range?

“Fine, but…”

“Rey, honestly. I don’t want to talk about it right now. It’s starting to get on my nerves when I have to talk about it. And I don’t want to snap again. So please, leave it.” He got up from his chair and took his things from the table. Pushing his red marker a little bit to the left so it was to his liking, he grabbed his books and went to the door. “I have a class, I’m sorry.”

He didn’t have a class and he wasn’t sorry. He just wanted to get away from her plans and questions.

 

After the cinema, Hux was eager to get home; he needed a shower and something to eat, something that wasn’t popcorn or chocolate. It was a nightmare. He knew that it was going to be a disaster but this was even worse than he imagined. He was the oldest person in the whole theatre. There were parents with little kids or teenagers or college kids with their friends. And then there was him and Rey, looking like a really odd pair. He felt stared at, he felt as if everyone was thinking that he was some perverted sugar daddy. Everything got only worse when (spoiler alert) Mufasa died and Rey started crying on his shoulder. He just peeled her off himself and gave her a tissue. He shuddered at the memory.

The only good thing was that Rey didn’t want him to take her home because he was fed up with her and would probably die if he had to spend more time with this over positive person. He parked the car in the driveway and noticed that the light was on on the upper ground. That meant that Emilia was at home or that there was a thief. He wasn’t sure what he would like better. Probably the least. Without trying to find out what was the reason for the light in Poe’s former study, or like Poe called it “The only place where I don’t have to clean up my dishes in a nanosecond after eating my meal” room; Hux went to the shower. 

He took off his clothes and tossed them into the laundry without thinking; he looked at himself in the mirror and sighed. Was he really that bad looking? He hadn’t toned muscles or a six-pack, he was scrawny looking since he was a little boy. But now he was scrawny and somehow shapeless. He rubbed his face and sighed; patting his stomach, he got into the shower and turned on the water, it didn’t take long before his thoughts started to drift away.

 

_ “Is this seat taken?” Hux looked up from his book and shook his head. “Thank god,” the stranger laughed and sat down in the booth opposite from Hux. “This place is packed and I hate eating standing up.” He smiled and started eating his burger. Hux stared at him in confusion, who was this man and why was he sitting in his booth? It was his place, he liked to eat alone, and this impertinent individual was disturbing his circles. _

_ “I’m sorry but… I didn’t say that you can sit down.” _

_ “Oh!” The stranger swallowed his bite and laughed. “I’m sorry. I thought that when you said it’s free-“ _

_ “It is free but I like eating alone.” Hux was trying to stand his ground, his fingertips nervously drumming against the edge of his book. The stranger knew perfectly well that this man liked to eat alone, he had watched him eating alone in this same spot for two days now. _

_ “Should I leave then?” _

_ Hux gulped and looked around the little bistro. It was packed; it was a lunchtime so it was no wonder that there were so many people. All the more for it being in the centre of Dublin. This man was obviously a tourist or a visitor and he would feel bad from telling him to clear off. “No, no…” He shook his head. “It’s okay. Stay if you must. It’s okay.” He smacked his lips and looked from the window. _

_ “Amazing, thanks, man. I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable but this is my first time here in Ireland, and sitting here with a man who has this hair colour is just…” _

_ “Cliché?” Hux looked at him and smiled a little.  He would lie if he said that he didn’t find the man in front of him attractive, he was handsome and very so. His hair was jet black and curly and his eyes were so dark that they were almost black. He looked like a character out of his book with adventurous men and romantic proposals. No, he certainly wasn’t Irish. And he liked Hux’s hair, his stupid ginger hair. _

_ “No! No, I love it, it’s… rather hot,” he laughed a little and took another bite of his burger. “Umm, this food is heaven,” he murmured and his eyes fluttered shut. “You’re from here? What you’re reading, gorgeous?” _

_ Hux paled. “I’m yes. I mean, I’m from here, yes. Not originally, but I live here.” He started fidgeting and moved his fingers far too swiftly from the edge of the sheet of the paper. “Fuck. Jesus, I’m so…Fuck…” Hux put his finger into his mouth. This was the third time in two days, he had too thin skin and because he was always working with papers or books, he cut himself quite often. _

_ “Shit, are you okay??” The man blinked, “Here, let me…I have a plaster in my wallet.” He opened his wallet and took Hux’s hand from his mouth. “Here…It’s nothing deep, it’s probably just going to sting.” He smiled as he put the plaster on Hux’s finger and caressed the back of his hand with his thumb.   _

_ “Thank you,” Hux mumbled and blushed almost the same deep red like was his t-shirt. This was all so different from what he was used to. This man was acting as if this was normal, as if nobody was looking. He was quite obviously flirting with him; Hux never thought that this blunt behaviour would make him feel all fluttering inside. He was more of a prim human being; this was absolutely out of his comfort zone. But in some weird and mysterious way, it was working. _

_ “I’m sorry I lied to you,” said the man out of a blue after what felt like a gazillion of years during which he was still stroking Hux’s hand. _

_ “What?” _

_ “I didn’t come here because I hadn’t anywhere to sit. You see these women over there?” He pointed. “They’re my colleagues. I was sitting with them. But I would hate myself for the rest of my life if I didn’t talk to you. You were sitting here all alone and reading that book as if it was the love of your life and I thought to myself that I would give anything for this handsome man to look at me like that.” He smiled. “So…if you don’t mind me asking, and I hope that you don’t because then I would feel rather stupid, would you like to go for a dinner with me? Today?” _

_ “I’m sorry, sir. But emm… you mean, like a…. like a date? I…I don’t even know your name.” Hux shook his head a little. _

_ “I’m Poe.” The stranger smiled lopsidedly and leaned back, putting his arms on the backrest. _

_ Hux took in his fit looking chest under his white t-shirt and black leather jacket. He paled, his heart beating faster. “I’m Armitage,” he smiled. _

_ “So, dearest Armitage, will you go dine with me?” _

_ Hux hid his face into his book and nodded. _

 

Armitage turned off the water and walked out of the shower, goosebumps immediately rose on his whole body as he put on his bathrobe and squeezed water from his hair into the sink; since he apparently forgot to do it while in the shower and it was now rolling down from his neck. He shuddered as if someone has just touched him with an icy hand and went to the bedroom to dress in something better than just a robe.

When he got down, Emilia was sitting in the living room eating some china take out. “Hi,” she smiled at him apologetically. “I ordered some China, thought you would be hungry when you got home so late.”

Hux just nodded, went to grab his own box from the table and sat down into his armchair. He didn’t say anything since he was afraid that he would say something which will make Emilia run away again. In the end, there was only one thing that he could say, “I’m sorry.” He looked at her.

“It’s okay.” She nodded. “I’m sorry too; I shouldn’t have said those things. I know that it’s hard for you.” He nodded. “How was the meeting yesterday? Did you agree on something?”

Hux nodded again. “It was probably better than I expected but still quite horrendous. He wants me to pay him money for this house since he’s giving it up to us. He said that he’s living with that Finn guy now but that he wants to have money to buy something on his own. And he wants me to pay it in a year max, which is impossible for me with my job. I don’t want to sell this house, since… it’s been my home from the time I came here. Poe thinks that I should ask my father for the money, which is just ridiculous.”

“We’ll figure it out, dad.” Em smiled at him with hope. “I’m sure of it. I know that you don’t want it but maybe it would be better to just… sell it. It’s too big for us anyway. And I won’t live here forever, I’m here now because I don’t want you to be alone but I will move out eventually. And you can’t live here alone. Not with your salary, like you said yourself.”

“So you also think that I’ll die alone?”

“No,” she laughed a little. “That’s not what I meant; I just wanted to say that it would be probably for the best. Speaking of new houses and places to live… That’s the reason why I think that breaking up with Ben would be probably for the best. He bought us a place. It’s a little flat and in a really old building but he wants to renovate it. Completely on his own. He’s crazy, I’ve been with him for a month and something and he already wants to live together?”

Hux tried not to think about the fact that everything Ben said to him was probably a lie since he was clearly planning on living together with his daughter, and just sighed. “That’s a little bit curious indeed.”

“Curious? It’s totally batshit crazy dad! Never mind, what else did my lovely stepdad say?”

“Your lovely stepdad wants to keep paying your tuition.”

“What the fuck, dad??” Hux nodded. “Well fuck me backwards.”

“Language, Em, for God’s sake.” He shook his head in amusement. “I’m afraid that it’s not just like that. He wants to pay for you but for what prize?” He sighed.

“You know what I think, dad? You should call your father. I mean, I’ve never met him. Or my grandma. We could bond through our hate towards the Dameron side of the family.”

“No.” He shook his head. “No, absolutely not.” Hux felt sick just thinking about it. He couldn’t face his father. He was sure that everything would come back with him, every little demon that was crawling in the depths of his mind, every single of his barrier, would fell down and he would crumble.

Emilia groaned. She didn’t understand what was between her dad and his father. He never told her. The only thing that she knew was that her grandfather hated Poe and that he practically disowned Hux for being with him. Hux always told her that he would tell her when she’s older and so in time she stopped asking for good. She only saw him in old photographs, when her dad was still a little boy. It was a photograph she found in a copy of The Little Prince. It was a worn out piece of hard paper, obviously folded and unfolded many times, white creases dividing the picture into four parts. It was a picture of little Armitage and his father by a tree, Armitage was sitting behind Brendol’s neck on his shoulders, holding a little hammer whilst his father held a little door on the tree trunk.

 

_ “Brendol, hold him or he’ll fall down!” Hux’s stepmother, who was holding the camera, said with a warning tone. _

_ “I’m sure he can hold himself up just fine, Mar, am I right, boy?” _

_ “Yes, daddy!” Little Armitage grinned and poked out his tongue in concentration, he hammered on the nail’s head with absolutely no force whatsoever. “Like this? Will the fairies know that they can live here now?” He bit his lip and squinted so he could see better as he tried to measure the distance. _

_ “No, you have to hit it harder.” Brendol craned his head to look at his son, ignoring his question. _

_ “Okay, daddy. But will the fairies know? Can we make them a feast so-” _

_ “Stop talking, Armitage and do it.” _

_ “Of course,” he muttered and hit the nail again, with a little bit more vigour. The nail barely grazed the bark. _

_ “For god’s sake, Armitage, you’re weaker than a lamb.” Brendol let the door fall down to the ground and took his son off his shoulders. “Give me that damned door.” Armitage picked it up from the grass and handed it to his father who pinned it to the tree with two hard hits. _

_ “Thank you,” little Hux mumbled and hung his head, looking at his feet. He was looking forward to attaching the doors to the tree for three weeks since his sixth birthday before his dad had time for him. It was a gift from his mother, she painted them herself, and now he was too weak to make use of it. Rather than helping fairies, he was making his father angry once again. “I’m sorry.” He sniffed and rubbed at his eyes. _

_ “Stop crying, boy or I’ll take it down.” _

_ “No!” He shrieked and looked up sharply. “Please, no. I’ll be good, please.” He whispered and shook his head. “I promise, daddy.” Brendol just sighed and left him be, he didn’t have time for this, he had work to do and his son wasn’t even able to hit a little nail. He was useless, always thinking about fairies and worlds galaxies away. Armitage watched his father go and bit his lip, when he looked up to the fairy doors he let himself to smile a little. Soon there was a hand on his head and he nuzzled closer. _

_ “The fairies will love it, Armie, I’m sure of it. Now come, I’ll make you a hot cocoa, okay?” Maratelle smiled at him and wiped away his tears. “Your nutty mother wouldn’t want you to cry, and fairies wouldn’t want it either.” _

 

“I’m sure that he isn’t so bad, dad. People change, maybe he’s not so bad anymore, hm?” Em got up from her spot and went to sit down on the armrest next to him. “You don’t have to ask him for the money, dad, I’m just… Well…”

“I said no, Emilia. My final word.” He looked at her and kissed her shoulder. “We’ll figure it out without him.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

After a moment of silence, Emilia jumped up from the armchair. “Oh! I nearly forgot! Is the you're-grounded-thing still on?”

Hux looked at her and raised one eyebrow. “Why?”

“Well, because…One of my classmates asked me and some other people if we’ll go surfing for a weekend, so…” She blinked at him with her long eyelashes and smiled. “Pretty please?”

“You’re an adult, Em. Do what you want, you said it yourself.” He sighed.

“Thank you!” She squealed and hugged him. “Thank you!”

“Will there be any boys?”

“Of course, I was thinking about taking-“

“Ben?”

“-um… sure, who else?” She laughed a little and got up. “Thanks! I’m leaving tomorrow morning, I need to pack!” As Hux watched her run away from the living room he highly doubted she was thinking about taking Ben with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... guess what's coming up in the next chapter?


	11. Chapter 11

Hux was sitting in his office. It was Friday and his classes were over. He wanted to stay and grade some of the tests his pupils had written this week since he would be alone at home anyway. He was just writing “Is this even a word?” on one of the history tests when Rey stormed inside. “I’m late!” She was breathing as if she just ran a marathon, sweat glistening on her forehead. “I’m so late, fuck, fuck, fuck!” She then proceeded to throw things from the table into her backpack. Hux got scared so bad by her entrance that he’d made a line with his red pen across the whole paper and on his table. He blinked, ignoring Rey in her furious packing. He stared at the paper, not daring to move. “He was supposed to pick me up five minutes ago; these kids took forever to finish the game. How I hate having PE as the last class, fuck- Hux?” Rey noticed that he wasn’t moving and looked at him. “Hux are you okay?” She got closer to him, “Are you alive?” She looked at him from the side so she could see if his chest was moving. “Hux?” She waved her hand in front of his face. He blinked and let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. “Thank god you’re alive, you really frightened me here. Why is there a red line on that test?”

“You…You startled me,” Hux stuttered. “You startled me and I ruined my table.” He looked at her.

“Ouch, I’m sorry. It’s nothing, look…” She took his wet tissues, which he kept in a little plastic box in his first drawer and started cleaning his desk. “You see? It’s okay. Nothing happened.” She smiled when she showed him the clean table and tossed the tissue into the garbage bin. “It’s not ruined, see?”

Hux nodded a little. “Yes, yes. Thank you.” He took a deep breath. “Thank you.” He took his pen and wrote a little sorry on the ruined test.

“I’m sorry.” She smiled a little and turned around when there was a loud knock on the door. “Come in!”

“You said you’ll be in front of the building five minutes ago!” In came Rey’s cousin and Hux ruined another test when hearing his low laid voice ringing through the office. “If I’m going to be late to the rehearsal, I swear I’m going to kill you.” Hux turned around, feeling his whole body going tense. Ben’s eyes widened when he saw the man sitting on the other side of the room but he didn’t have the time to say anything because Rey was faster.

“You won’t, I’m sorry. These children are just too slow,” She went from Hux’s chair to get her bag. “Oh, um.. By the way, Ben, this is Hux, Hux, this is my cousin Benjamin.” She smiled.

“So you’re the psycho that hit her she told me about?” Ben folded his arms over his chest, lips set in a thin line.

Hux shook his head hesitantly. “No, that was my twin brother…Ewan,” He got up from the table and offered Ben his hand. “Nice to meet you, Ben.”

Ben accepted and shook it. “Nice to meet you too, Hux. Don’t ever touch her again.”

Rey sighed and clasped her hands when they stayed staring at each other not letting go of the other’s hands for a little bit too long. “Leave him be, Benny. It was an accident and completely my fault, we’re over it.” She took Ben by shoulders and squeezed them. Ben nodded and let go of Hux. “C’mon. We’re going to be late.” She took her bag and skipped towards the door, “Have a nice weekend, Hux!”

“Have a nice weekend, Rey,” Hux mumbled and sat back onto his chair absolutely dumbfound. He looked at the flowers still standing in the crystal vase he borrowed from their fellow English teachers and rubbed his face. He made a desperate sound and whimpered. “I am so fucked.” He raised his head from his palms and looked at the photograph of his daughter on his table. Wait, didn’t Emilia say that Ben was going with her?

 

It was eight in the evening when the doorbell rang.

“I have to go, Gwen, someone’s at the door,” Hux said into his phone. “I just hope that it isn’t the police with my daughter,” he sighed as he got to the door and opened it; nope it was definitely not Emilia. “I have to go, Phas. I’ll call you later.” He hung up and frowned a little at the man standing in front of his door. “What are you doing here?”

Ben waved sheepishly and smiled. “Hi.” He was dressed in grey sweatpants and a red hoodie, one bag in his hand and a backpack on his back.

Hux leaned on the doorframe and crossed his arms.

“I brought you a dinner, can I come in?”

Hux sighed and stepped out of the way. “Come,” He mumbled, “Close the door.” Hux went to the kitchen to get some plates and cutlery.

“I hope that I am not disturbing anything,” Ben went after him and set the plastic boxes on the table. “It’s just… We were supposed to eat the dinner with Emilia but she didn’t come so… I didn’t want to throw it away and thought that you’ll be at home so…”

Hux looked at him when he put the plates on the table. “You were?”

“Yes, she sent me a text half an hour ago, saying she’s with her classmates.” Ben opened the boxes to reveal fish fingers and French fries. Hux didn’t comment on the food and started to serve. “I hope that you like fish.”

Hux looked at him. “Fish is okay.” He felt bad for him, he knew exactly where she was and with whom. Should he tell him where she was? Should he tell him to go away? “I guess that she just forgot, she had a…hectic week.” He nodded and smacked his lips. “Do you want some wine? Or beer? I’ll go get some.” Hux left Ben in the kitchen and disappeared into the living room where they had a wine cabinet. Where he had a wine cabinet. With Poe’s wine. He grabbed the first wine he found and went back to Ben. He found him sitting at the table in a kitchen with dimmed lights and candles burning on the table. Where he got them Hux didn’t know, he must have brought them with him in his backpack.

“I brought candles, I bought them.” Ben bit the inside of his cheek.

“I’m happy to hear that. I hate kleptomaniacs.” Hux sat down and took his fork and knife. Ben laughed and shook his head.

“Right. So… Bon appetite.” He winked and started eating. Hux just hummed and popped one of the fries into his mouth. “So…” Ben started after a while, “do you often hit girls?”

Hux nearly choked on his bite, “What?”

Ben shrugged. “Rey called me a few days ago and told me that her colleague was making her life hell, again, and that he hit her. Normally I would go and kick that asshole into a cube but she told me not to. She begged me not to come actually. And then when I came there today and saw it was you, I just… would have never guessed. She talks about you quite often, now when I think about it.”

“Listen, Ben, I… I don’t do this. I wouldn’t have hit her if she wasn’t provoking me, it was too much and my hand just slipped." Hux was trying to vindicate his mistake probably in the worst way possible but he was too tired to think. "It was because of the divorce; I was supposed to have a meeting with Poe in few hours and she riled me up.” He put down his fork and rubbed his jaw. “I talked about it with her and we are all good…”

“If you say so,” Ben muttered and took a swing from his wine. He was silent for a moment and then started laughing, “Oh fuck, now I know why I never knew it was you… She refers to you by your first name and Em never told me what it was. It was always just dad or pa or loony,” Ben snorted. 

“Phasma calls me by my name quite often, Ben.” Hux raised his eyebrows. "I would think that you know what's my name since we spent a weekend together."

“She does? Huh.” Ben pursed his lips and hummed. “Okay, I just don’t understand why anyone would name their child after furniture. That’s absurd.”

“What?” Hux blinked in confusion. Furniture? What was Ben talking about for a fucks sake?

“Well, you have to admit that Armchair is a pretty fucked up name.”

“It’s Armitage.” Hux said dryly.

Ben blinked. “Oh. That… makes more sense, I suppose.”

“Uh huh.”

“I’m sorry.”

Hux shook his head and resumed eating. “People have called me worse,” he mumbled.

 

It didn’t take long before their dinner was interrupted by Hux's mobile phone, “I’m sorry.” He got up from the table and went to get it from the hall where he left it on a cabinet. “Yes?”

“What the fuck, Hux? I thought you were dead! Why didn’t you call me back? Who was it at the door?”

“Phas, calm down for Christ’s sake. I said that I’ll call you later.”

“I am just concerned, why would anyone visit you this late?”

Hux rolled his eyes. “Your opinion on my social life is really hurting me,” He rubbed his forehead and ran a hand through his hair. “It was no one, okay? I’m fine.”

“Who was it? I really doubt that it was that guy from Game of Thrones, you can stick that No-One you know where.”

Hux was silent for a moment before answering, “It was Ben, okay? He was looking for Emilia.” It wasn’t a lie… completely.

“Ben?”

“Yes. Phas, I would really love to end this conversation right now, ok? I have food on the table and it’s getting cold.”

“Is it Ben or food that's ready at your table?”

“What? Shut up!”

“Armitage Hux, don’t you dare to-“

Hux hang up and went back to the kitchen. What was she thinking he was doing? He wasn't planning on doing anything like that with Ben. He just couldn't turn away a free dinner. That was the only reason. For sure. Sitting down he smiled at Ben and put his phone on the table. “I’m sorry, it was only Gwen.” He took his fork and knife in the wrong hands and stared at it in confusion. “What the- I’m stuffed anyway.” He put it back down on the table and looked at Ben. “What was your plan now? After the dinner?”

“My plan? I didn’t have a plan.” Ben shrugged and wetted his lips. “But we could… watch some movie? If you don’t want to kick me out, that is.” Hux mouthed a silent okay and got up from the table, Ben could swear that he heard a stone falling from his own heart in relief. “Good.” He smiled and got up too, hopefully not too eager for Hux to notice. Ben waited until Hux was in the hall and followed him, trying not to look at his ass. He failed.  _ Oh god, you’re gorgeous _ . He sighed in awe and sat down on the couch. “Do you have Netflix or...?”

Hux nodded. “Yeah, I…I have it. Hopefully, it’s still working.” He sat down too, on the opposite side of the couch and took the remote control, which he almost immediately tossed to Ben. “Here, choose something,” He didn’t want to seem pretentious by choosing something improper. “I’ll bring popcorn.”

When Hux got back to the living room with a bowl of popcorn, Ben was waiting for him with Princess Bride paused on the television. Of all the movies he could choose, he chose that one, of which Poe had ruined for him by calling him Buttercup when he was in a playful mood.

“Can we… Can we not watch this one, please?” Hux put the bowl between them and sat down on his previous spot.

“Why? You don’t like-“ Ben looked at Hux and when he saw the look Hux was giving him, he gulped. “Oh. Right. Of course.”  _ Fuck Ben, of all the movies you choose the one, of which he possibly had seen with his ex-husband or something _ . “Well, what about Ghostbusters?”

Hux nodded, “Okay,” he smiled and scooted closer to Ben, putting the popcorn bowl into his lap. 

 

It didn’t take long for Hux to start falling asleep for he had two glasses of wine and he was tired from work. “I’m sorry Ben, my eyes are tired-“ he mumbled when he knew that Ben asked him a question he couldn’t comprehend.

“I know you’ve been sleeping for the last ten minutes now.” Ben smiled at him, took the popcorn from Hux’s lap, and put it on the table. “Come here, you can sleep on me if you want.” He took Hux by his waist and pulled him closer. Hux hummed in response and put his head on Ben’s shoulder. “Your hair smell so nice,” Ben hummed into his hair. “Do you know that? Smells like…”

“Home,” Hux chuntered and scooted closer. Ben’s hoodie was incredibly soft and his broad shoulders were perfect for sleeping, at least for now.

Ben smiled at Hux’s clarification and kissed him there. “Yeah, home.” He could get used to this, to call this home. Even though it was a little bit too big for his liking. Emilia didn’t want to live with him, as it seemed, and he had already paid for the flat. Maybe he could talk Hux into moving in with him. He had so many questions for him but he didn’t want to scare him off. What Rey told him about Hux was a rather colourful list of quirks and habits, they had laughed about it many times. They had made fun of him. They had made fun of his cleaning obsession, of his table order, of him being a sweet little homemaker. But now when he knew that this nameless man was Hux, it didn’t seem so funny anymore. And Ben felt somehow responsible for making sure that Hux was okay, that everything was to his liking. After a while, Ben could hear Hux's silent snoring and had to smile. "Hux?" 

"Mmm?" Hux purred quietly, not moving an inch. 

"Your neck is going to hurt in the morning if you stay sleeping here, you should probably go to bed." Ben sighed; he knew that he would probably have to go and that Hux wasn’t going to want him to stay the night. He wasn't that naive. Even though he’d brought spare clothes with him. So maybe he was naive. Yes, he definitely was. 

"T's okay, you're so warm and comfy," Hux mumbled sleepily. 

Ben smiled. "No, I’m not. I don't want you to hate yourself in the morning." He pulled Hux off of himself and got up, "Come, I'll go home so you can sleep." 

Hux stayed looking at him for a minute and then nodded. "Alright," He yawned and stood up. "Alright, you're probably correct." Hux turned off the tv and put the remote control in its rightful place. He wanted to take the popcorn bowl but Ben had already taken it.  

"Should I throw the rest into the garbage?"  

Hux nodded. "Yes, please. Thank you." He smiled softly and went with Ben to the hall. While Ben went to the kitchen, Hux stayed in the archway watching him. He was looking at the dishes on the table and bit his lip to stop from smiling, when Ben put the bowl into the dishwasher and started cleaning up the table on his own accord. He didn't care if Ben did it just to be flattering but it was working, "You don't have to clean up, Ben. I would have done it when you're gone." 

"I know," Ben looked at him when he closed the dishwasher and put hands into his pockets. "But you're tired. You shouldn't have to clean everything when you're tired." He grabbed his backpack from the floor where it was lying and went closer to Hux and nervously bit his lip. "So... Goodnight." 

Hux nodded and rubbed his lips. "Yes, goodnight." He let Ben move past him towards the door. What was he doing? "Benjamin?" He turned around.

"Yes?" Ben looked up from zipping up his boots.

"Stay?" 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little bit shorter but I promise that the next chapter will be posted very soon! <3

 

In the morning, it was Ben who woke up as first. Sun was making itself known through the windows and he had to squint to get used to its unpleasant rays. It was then he realised where he was. He looked to his right side and had to smile. Hux was sleeping with his mouth slightly opened, cheek pressed into the pillow. His hair was… absolutely everywhere. He probably had to toss around a lot during the night since there was a huge tangle on the back of his head and other locks were just sticking to every side possible.  _Charming_ , thought Ben and looked to the ceiling. He didn’t want to wake him up, so he just scooted a little bit closer and caressed Hux's stubbled cheek. He was a little bit jealous of his growing beard since he couldn’t grow one even if he stood on his head. He tried it once and it turned out patchy since it seemed to grow only on parts of his face. He sighed through his nose and rubbed his eyes. Ben wondered what time it was since he usually slept through the whole morning if he hadn’t to wake up, and to be honest, he sometimes slept through it even if he had to wake up. He noticed the alarm clock on the bedside table and blinked in shock when he saw that it was only eight in the morning. Why was he up so early? Knowing that he could sleep some more and don’t feel guilty about it, Ben closed his eyes and moved closer to the sleeping form next to him. Hux unconsciously snuggled towards his side, hugging his chest and mumbling something that sounded suspiciously a lot like “I’m a little burrito” into Ben’s shoulder. Ben suppressed a laugh and passed out in a minute.

The next time one of them woke up, it was Hux. He blinked lazily into the black void in front of his eyes and spluttered when he realised that his mouth was full of Ben’s hair. “Ben?” He murmured as he shifted away from him and laid back on his pillow. Ben was sleeping, ignoring the retreating heat from his body. Hux sighed when he looked at him; Ben was sleeping on his back, brows furrowed and mouth agape like a fish. The most handsome big-nosed fish Hux has ever seen. He didn’t think that Ben would say yes to his proposal of staying the night. And how adorable he looked when Hux told him that he won’t be staying on the couch – staying warm during the night being probably a lame excuse but Hux just had cold feet. He sighed and carefully sat up and got out of the bed, when he succeeded he smiled for himself and tugged Ben under the duvet even though it was warm outside. Speaking of the outside, he should probably let in some fresh air.

And he should make a breakfast.

Hux was just standing by the cooker when Ben entered the kitchen twenty minutes later.

“You know, I could get used to waking up to this.”

Hux turned from the bacon on the frying pan and laughed a little. “Good morning to you too.”

“Good morning.” Ben smiled and went closer, “What are you making? Bacon and eggs?” He smiled and hopped up to sit on the counter.

“Yes, and beans.” Hux nodded, “Could you please not sit on the counter? You’re not a cat.”

“Sure, I’m sorry, mon capitaine,” Ben slid down from the edge and rubbed his neck. “Will you go running with me after the breakfast?”

“Running? I’m not sure that’s a good idea, I’m planning to stuff myself and I don’t want to be sick afterwards,” Hux shook his head.

“Oh please, don’t be a tease; we can just walk…fast…a little bit faster than jogging.”

“Benjamin,” Hux looked at him, “I would probably die of suffocation.”

Ben rolled his eyes, “Fine, Jesus. Do you have some juice or something?”

“I made a tea. It’s brewing in the teapot.” Hux turned off the hob and put the bacon on a plate where he had already arranged scrambled eggs. “Could you please take the bowl with beans and-“

“Yes! Yes! Of course!” Ben hurried to help him put it on the table and sat down. “So… Do you eat this every morning?” He dug into the eggs and put them into his mouth and Hux shook his head. “Ohay, I just…” he mumbled with a full mouth and swallowed, “…I don’t know why but I had you for a sweet breakfast kind of guy.”

“No, no… I usually eat oatmeal or… this,” Hux nodded, he wasn’t sure where this small talk was going. “And you?”

“I usually eat lunch for breakfast, so…Yeah, this is a nice change, though,” Ben smiled at him and took a cup when Hux poured him some tea. “Thank you.” There was a silence for a minute before Ben started talking again, “So, you’re Irish.”

“Yes?”

“What do you eat for breakfast in Ireland?”

“Oh.” Hux blinked, certainly not expecting this kind of question. “Well, we… I don’t know. There are sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, and toast? I’ve never thought about it, read some tourist info if you want.” He snorted.

“Okay, I’ll google it.” Ben stuck out his tongue and wiggled his eyebrows. “You had to be a total heart-throb when you were younger,” he sighed and licked his bacon-greased fingers.

Hux smiled politely. “Thank you. But I wasn’t, I have never been much of a looker. I look too much like my father. Except for my mouth and my body type… He was always stocky and he’s shorter than me, but otherwise, it’s horrible. My constant nightmare is that one time I’ll look into the mirror and see him looking at me. And this is getting more and more likely with my age.”

“Bullshit,” Ben laughed and shook his head. “You’re hot.”

Hux lifted his eyebrows in an amused way; he didn’t believe Ben a word he said. Poe said so himself, he wasn’t attractive. “If you say so, Ben. Are you finished?”

“With my praise for you? I can do it all day, you know.”

Hux laughed a little. “No, with your breakfast.” He got up from the table, “If you still want to go running, I won’t keep you here. You can go, I don’t mind.”

“No, you won’t mind, because you’re going to go with me.” Ben smirked confidently.

“I am not; I don’t even have running shoes!”

Ben was evidently having none of it because he got up from his chair and walked around the table. “Get up.”

“What? Why?” Hux looked at him with confusion but he still gave him his hands when Ben asked for them. What he didn’t expect was for Ben to trick him, pulling him up with more force than necessary and throwing him over his shoulder. “What the- Ben! Let go of me this instant!” Ben wasn’t listening, instead of putting Hux down he started walking out of the kitchen and up to the bedroom. “Ben! Put me down, this isn’t fun!”

“So why am I laughing?” Ben smirked.

“I don’t know, because you’re an absolute idiot??”

Ben just laughed some more and put him on the bed, “Stay.” He pointed at him with his finger as if he was a dog and went to raid Hux’s closet. Hux pouted and stayed sitting on the bed. “Here, you can wear those,” Ben threw blue shorts over his shoulder in Hux’s direction. “And this t-shirt,” Ben turned around with a green t-shirt with “I’m feckin’ Irish!” in his hands.

“I’m not wearing this monstrosity to go running with you, Ben.” Hux frowned.

“Why not?”

“Because it’s atrocious!”

“Then why do you have it in your closet?”

“Because it was a Christmas gift from one of my students who graduated last year,” He sighed and got up from the bed so he could put on the shorts Ben chose for him.

“He got you a t-shirt? Oh my, Huxy, look at you. Are you a popular teacher?”

“I don’t know. I’m not trying to be. I just want to do my job right.”

“Liar.” Ben smirked and tossed him the t-shirt. “C’mon, put it on.”

“Ben, please, it’s embarrassing. I won’t walk out in this.”

“I won’t walk out in this,” Ben mimicked his accent and when Hux gave him a withering look; he went to put his hands on his hips. “Don’t look at me like this, I was only joking. I love your accent. It’s hot.”

Hux tensed a little when he felt Ben’s hands on him. All of this was suddenly too real. It was too domestic and all too soon. He shouldn’t be letting him treat him like this, this was Ben, this was Emilia’s Ben and not his to have. “Don’t…” He stepped away from him and rubbed his face. “Oh god, what am I doing? What is happening. This is not right. This is not me.” He looked at Ben with desperate eyes. “Tell me, Ben, what will…What will happen when Em gets back from her trip, hm? Will you go after her? Will you go back to her and I will stay alone and…and broken even more than I am now because I’m just some…some substitute crush for when your girlfriend is neglecting you?”

“No! No, no… Look, no…” Ben shook his head and took Hux’s hands into his. “No…” He repeated stubbornly and caressed Hux’s arms up to his shoulders and neck. “You’re not a patch or anything, the truth is that…  You’re amazing. You are a mature, ripe man,” Hux snorted a little at this, “and I want only you.”

“You want only me?” Armitage looked into his eyes with a sad smile.

“Yes, yes… Only you.” Ben smiled and took his cheek into his palm.

“Then why don’t you break up with her?!” Hux pushed Ben away from him and went to put his horrible green t-shirt back in its place.

“Because I can’t, Hux.” Ben turned around to him and pulled at his hair.

“You can’t? Oh please, Benjamin, you know that’s bullshit.” He put it in its rightful place in the colour scheme order and closed the door.

“No, it’s not bullshit. I can’t break up with her because we…She told me that she wants a break, okay? So we’re practically broken up, you see?”

“She did what?” Hux turned around incredulously. “What the- and you’re telling me this now? You said that she wrote you that she was with her friends, that you were supposed to have a dinner together!”

“We were, Hux! Stop screaming at me!”

“I’m not screaming at you! You lied to me!”

“I didn’t lie! I just didn’t tell you everything, okay? I didn’t think it was important!”

“Oh?! You didn’t think?? You didn’t think that it was important?! Breaking up with my daughter is not important to you? Do you even realise that-“

“That what? Oh fuck this shit, you’re impossible. First, you’re mad at me for being with her and now you’re angry because I’m not with her??”

“No!”

“Then why are you suddenly all psycho?!”

“Because I-“ Hux was suddenly at loss of his words. He was breathing fast, opening and closing his mouth, his lower lip trembling. He couldn’t talk, he was darting with eyes everywhere but Ben and was trying not to lose it completely. “I just…” He lifted his hands and put them down almost immediately. He couldn’t think straight. He scratched at his inner eye corner and put his hair out of his forehead. “I’m sorry.” He breathed out and finally looked at Ben. “I’m sorry. I can’t do this, Ben.” He shook his head. “I can’t. No. I’m sorry. You have to go.”

“Hux,” Ben sighed and went closer to him. Hux was paler than normal; he wasn’t red with anger, no. He was shivering as if he was cold. Ben’s anger was all gone. “Don’t send me away, please.” But Hux shook his head, “You really want me to go?” Hux nodded. “Okay, I’ll go.” Ben sighed and kissed Hux’s forehead. “Call me if you want anything, I’ll leave you my number.”

Hux nodded again and sat down on his bed with face in his hands.

 

“You are a horrible human being, Armitage Hux and you should perish in hell.”

“Takes one to know one.” Hux murmured into his pillow. He was lying on the couch, slowly dying of idiocy. Phasma was sitting in the armchair across from him and watching him with wary eyes. He told her everything, about the kiss in Alaska, about Ben sending him flowers and being the cousin of his colleague, about Ben coming here yesterday, having dinner with him, about the movie, and snuggling and their absolutely sexless night in his bed. And of course, about their today’s row.

“I get it that you feel lonely and that he’s an absolute hunk but your daughter-”

“My daughter is cheating on him.”

“What?”

“She is cheating on him with some short black haired boy from her class.”

“And you know this how?”

“Because I saw them, Phas. I was picking her up from school and he kissed her.”

“Well… I would say stop being hypocritical but… If she was cheating on him and then told him that she wants a break because he bought them a flat or whatever, then I think that you should call him.”

“What?” He lifted himself up from his position on his stomach and looked at her. “Were you even listening to me?”

“Yes. That kid likes you; he’s young, handsome, single and ready to-”

“Please don’t finish that sentence, good God, do not finish this sentence.”

Phasma huffed and took the paper with Ben’s number from the table. “Call him.” She handed it to him across the table and smiled.

“I can’t. What would I say to him?”

“The truth. That you’re brain damaged and that you want to go running with him.”

“But I hate running.”

“And I hate you, yet I am still sitting here and listening to your shit.”

Hux growled and started pressing the numbers on his phone.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Ben had been running when his phone started ringing in his pocket.  He stopped and sat down on a nearby wall, putting it towards his ear. He was hoping that the unknown number belonged to Hux because he never answered unknown numbers. “Yeah?” He asked, a little bit breathless.  “Ben Solo speaking.”

“Benjamin, hi.” So it was Hux after all, Ben smiled like a piranha and scratched his nose.

“Hello to you too, Sir.”

“There’s no need to call me sir, Ben.”  Did he just pull a Harry Potter quote on him? That man was unbelievable!

“Alright. Sorry, Mademoiselle, what can I do for you?”

“If you want to call me nonsense things, I can hang up, you know?”

Ben laughed a little, Hux was so easy to rile up. “I would shut up but you have to be talking when you’re speaking to someone on the phone, that’s just how it works.”

“Could you just listen to me, please? And maybe do affirmative or negative sounds?” Ben smirked and kept his mouth shut. “Okay. So… Does the running thing offer still stand?”

Negative sound.

“Oh. Is it because I yelled at you or because you don’t want to go running anymore?”

Silence.

“Shit, okay, I should probably ask only one question. Are you mad at me?”

Negative sound.

“I actually hate running, but-“

“Hux,” Ben smiled a little, taking pity on him. “I was running right now when you called, so that’s why. But if you want to see me we can go and grab some lunch and then we can go to the cinema to watch some tacky movie, hm?”

There was a short silence on the other side of the phone before Hux let out a long breath. “Why yes, yes of course. We can do that.”

“Cool, I’ll pick you up at two?”

“Isn’t that a little bit late for a lunch? I always eat at noon, but… but no, no, of course. Two is fine. Sure.”

“We can make it one o’clock. Is it better?” Ben tried, not wanting to make him even more uncomfortable. Hux hummed in agreement into the speaker and Ben smiled. “Cool, see you later alligator.”

 

Hux put his phone on the table and looked at Phasma. “He’s going to pick me up at one o’clock. We’re going for a lunch.”

Phasma clasped her hand across her heart. “What?” She said with a hint of shock. “Mr. Hux I am absolutely astounded! You are going to eat later than your sharp noon?”

“Haha, Phas, very funny.” Hux rolled his eyes and rubbed at his wrist.

“You have an hour and a half to get ready so I’ll just wait here. We can’t have you going out in something hideous. Of wait, you don’t have hideous clothes anymore, I threw them out.” She smirked and looked pointedly at his shorts. “Even though it seems that this thing escaped my notice.”

Hux rolled his eyes and got up from the table. “These shorts are completely normal, thank you very much.”

“No, they’re not.” She shook her head.

“Why?”

“They’re pink, Armitage.”

“So?”

“Pink clashes with your hair and makes you look even paler.”

“For fuck's sake, why am I friends with you?”

“Do you really want me to elaborate on that?”

 

_ Hux was walking through the streets of London with his stepmother. He was seventeen and bored. Maratelle wanted to go shopping and sightseeing while her husband was at some meeting she didn’t care about. The only thing that mattered was that he will make more money that way and that she could go shopping and torture young Armitage by dragging him along with her. _

_ “Come, Armitage, just one more shop and we’ll go eat something.” She looked at him with a smile and grabbed his hand. “Stop being such a bore; you’re seventeen, you are young. You should be happy.” _

_ “Exactly, I am seventeen,” He murmured. He doubted that seventeen-year-old boys loved going shopping with their mothers. “It’s already 11:50.” He looked at his watch and sighed. They always ate at noon sharp, his father’s rules. _

_ “I know that it is, but your father is not here so we don’t have to act like robots. Now come.” _

_ Hux rolled his eyes and followed her into the horrible place also known as a fashion boutique. _

_ They spent an hour in there and Hux was slowly getting desperate, not only that his stomach was growling but he was trembling inside like a leaf. “Ma, can we please go to eat something?” He looked at her with pleading eyes when they left the shop. _

_ “Oh, but I want to go to buy some shoes before they close. It’s near here, don’t you worry.” _

_ “But you said-“ _

_ “Armitage, why can’t you behave like a normal being?” She stopped abruptly and turned to him, her bright pink painted lips sneering. “Do you really hate me that much? You know what? Here, take this and go buy something to eat, I will meet you at the Trafalgar Square at four o’clock.” She thrust money into his hands and walked away, her stilettos clicking on the pavement. _

_ Hux didn’t try to argue with her, he just looked at the money in his hand and then at her retreating form. “Fine,” he mumbled and started walking. He was hungry and anxious, not a good combination to walk through the city and deal with her. _

_ He got lost in five minutes. Fortunately, he got lost near a café. _

_ Hux entered what looked like a shabby restaurant for poor citizens and scanned his surroundings. It was not loaded with customers; there was only a group of what looked like high school students or a gang. He was too unnerved to walk away and find another place to eat. Armitage sat down at a table in the corner and pulled out his cigarette pack from his white blazer pocket. His fingers were trembling and he needed to relax. He needed it bad. _

_ “Hey, kiddo, we don’t smoke in here,” said a waitress when she came to collect his order. _

_ Hux looked at her and sighed, “I’m sorry, I saw this ashtray and thought that it’s okay to have a smoke.” _

_ She snorted. “Funny one, eh?” _

_ Hux only took another drag from his cigarette and shrugged. “Can you just give me something to eat?” _

_ “I can offer you a tomato soup and toast if you want but we’re not exactly a five-star restaurant, you sure you’re here correctly?” _

_ “I’ll take the soup and toast, thank you.” He tried to smile, the waitress smiled back and snatched the cigarette from his fingers, throwing it on the ground and stomping on it. “Hey! What the fuck?!” He looked at her with shock and huffed when she just walked behind the counter to process his order. Hux looked around the café and saw that the gang of high schoolers was staring at him. Great. Now he had made a scene. _

_ “Are you lost, prissy boy?” Called one of the gang members. Hux did his best to ignore him and started fumbling with his lighter. He had to do something with his fingers or he knew he would go crazy. “I’m talking to you, carrot-boy.” There was resulting laughter, but Hux refused to look at them. _

_ “Leave him be, Hugh,” Hux heard a female voice and footsteps, which were coming towards him. Fuck. _

_ “Please don’t mug me,” he breathed out in a high-pitched voice and looked at the stranger with fear in his eyes. His father would kill him. It was a girl with a blond bob on her head, she was tall, wearing high waisted worn out jeans and a red top with a black leather jacket and white sneakers. Armitage paled. She was going to kill him. _

_ “I don’t want to mug you,” she laughed and sat down opposite from him. “Actually, can I take a photo of you?” _

_ This was probably the last thing that he expected her to say. “What?” _

_ “Can I take a photo of you?” She repeated and showed him her camera, which he didn’t notice before. “You look absolutely abstract in here, you know? And it would make a rad photo, pretty please.” She pursed her thin lips and Hux blinked. _

_ “I’m not really sure. I just wanted to eat something.” _

_ “C’mon, Irish boy.” She smiled again. “You don’t even have to look at me; just… just do what you were doing before, okay? You can pretend that you’re smoking, it will look cool.” _

_ “Will you leave me alone if I say yes?” _

_ “Yes, you will never see me again, I promise.” _

_ And so Hux agreed. _

 

He did see her again, logically, since she was now sitting in his living room drinking mimosa at almost one o’clock in the afternoon. When Hux saw her drinking, he didn’t comment on it and cleared his throat to grab her attention. “So? How do I look?” Phasma looked at him and sighed.

“You look okay,” She nodded after seeing his jeans and white shirt. “You look sharp,” She winked and saw that he released a relieved breath. It was still five minutes to one and there was a car honking outside. “Looks like your ride is here. Be good, Armitage, no drinking, no smoking and no sex. Be home at nine or you’ll be grounded.” She gave him thumbs up and laughed when he grumbled something under his nose and disappeared.

 

“Whoa, well…I see that your car is still alive.” Hux said instead of greeting Ben who was grinning at him from behind the steering wheel.

“Yup! Hop inside, I can’t stop the engine or it won’t start again.”

Hux blinked and asked nothing; he didn’t want to know. He got inside of the car and cringed, it was disgusting. Was it a car or a dumpster? And what was that horrible smell? The monstrosity pulled off from the kerb and Hux felt a hand on his thigh. Well, it seemed that Ben wasn’t mad at him at all.

“I see that you shaved,” Ben looked at him from the street in front of him and winked. “Pity. Not that you wouldn’t look good like this, you look nice.”

“Thank you.” Hux nodded and looked back at him. He was his usual self. Black jeans with holes, black t-shirt with a movie character he didn’t know and a black hoodie. “You look nice, too.”

Ben laughed. “I know.” He smirked, “So, I’m sorry but we’ll have to stop at my parents’ place first, I promised my dad that I’ll bring him my old guitar so he can sell it. It will only take five minutes, I promise.”

“Your parents’ house?” Hux blinked.

“Yeah, don’t worry. You can stay in the car if you want. It will only be a minute.”

“Okay.” Hux nodded and shuddered. Ben’s parents. He wondered how old were they, what were they doing for a living and did they know that his son was into older men? Probably not. “Speaking of your parents-“

“Please don’t.” Ben shook his head. “I don’t really want to talk about them. They’re parents, nothing much needed to be said about them.”

Hux could see that Ben clearly didn’t want to talk about them. He could understand this, he wasn’t exactly an open book either. “Okay.” He nodded, “Just tell me that they’re older than me, please.”

Ben laughed a little and frowned. “Yes, yes, they are.” He said after he remembered how old his parents were. “They’re older than you, don’t worry. Much older, they’re ancient.” He nodded. “My dad is almost sixty and my mum is..hm, yeah, she had her birthday in February, she’s fifty.” Ben smiled at Hux and saw that the man beside him wasn’t smiling at all. Fuck, what did he say?

“You said that they’re ancient and then you say that your mother is fifty years old?” Hux was trying not to sound hurt. “That’s like… I’m going to be fifty in six years, Benjamin, how can you-“

“Oh shit, I’m sorry! But you look good, Hux!” Ben was getting red in embarrassment, he hadn’t realised Hux’s age. “You look much younger; you don’t look forty-four at all!”

“Right.” Hux shook his head a little and turned away from him, he could be Ben's father. He could be his father and he was going to a lunch with him. Did that make him a pervert?

Ben knew he fucked up and bit his lip. He didn’t want Hux to feel that way; he wanted to make him happy and make his eyes shine just like they were shining on the wedding photo he saw in his living room. He wanted Hux to look at him like this and to never stop. And so he pulled off the road and stopped the car, with the engine still running. “Armitage,” Ben said his name in an absolutely wrong pronunciation but at least he’d tried. It sounded somehow French and he was sure that Hux had pronounced it in a different way.

Hux turned to him with, biting the inside of his cheek.

“You are not old, okay?” Ben took his hands into his own. “And even though you’re maybe a little bit older than me, it doesn’t mean anything. It just means that I…That I really hate myself for coming into this world later than you because I have lost all the time I could have known you. You are the most gorgeous thing I have ever seen. You have to believe me.” He smiled at him and brought Hux’s hand to his lips so he could kiss his knuckles. “You have the smoothest hands I have ever held and the prettiest fingers.” He entwined their fingers together and smiled at what their hands. “We fit perfectly, see?” Ben looked back up and cupped Hux’s face into his other hand. “C’mon, show me that pretty smile of yours that I love so much.” Hux’s corners lifted a little, it wasn’t a smile per se but Ben took it as a personal victory. “There you go.” Ben leaned closer and gently took Hux’s lips between his own.

“You’re such a sweet talker, Ben.” Hux smiled into the kiss after a while and rested his forehead against Ben’s.

“I know.” Ben smiled lazily, “But I’m not lying.” He kissed him on the corner of his lips and pulled away from him, “Do not get grumpy on me again, okay? Or I’ll eat your lunch and you’ll be starving.”

“You wouldn’t do that.” Hux shook his head and rolled down his window; it moved two inches and fell down completely. “Shit. I think I broke your window.”

Ben looked at it and shrugged, “You didn’t. It’s been broken for almost two years.”

 

It didn’t take long before they stopped again, this time it was in front of Ben’s parents’ house. Hux looked out and saw a deep blue house, probably a little bit bigger than his own, with a big front yard. Ben probably wanted to keep the car running again but suddenly there was a loud noise from the engine and the car died. “Fuck,” Ben muttered and rubbed his face. “Well, let’s just hope that it will start up again.” He sighed and looked at Hux, “You want to stay in the car? I promise it won’t explode. I’ll just grab my guitar and go there and ring the bell and I’ll wait for one of my terrible parents to open the door and scold me and send me on my way.”

“Yeah, I think that… Dying in your atrocious car is probably better than meeting your parents.” Hux nodded and Ben laughed a little.

“Right, good choice. I would probably do the same if I could, but-“ Someone cleared his throat and Ben jumped so abruptly that he banged his head against the car roof. “Shit! For fuck’s sake!” He turned around and saw his mother peeking into his opened (or rather stuck opened) window. “Mom! You scared the shit out of me!”

“That’s not a way how to greet your mother, Benjamin.” The lady standing outside shook her head and Ben sighed. “I heard your car nearly exploding, I wanted to look if you’re alive.” She pursed her lips and looked past her son. “Good afternoon, I think that we haven’t met yet, am I right?”

Hux swallowed and smiled hesitantly at Ben’s mother. She had greying shoulder-length hair and a little bit too much mascara for his liking but otherwise looked like a nice, albeit strict, woman. He could see where Ben got his eyes from. “No, no we haven’t.” He put on his best “parents’ evening” face and proper English accent and smiled at her.

“Well come outside then you two, so I can hug my baby boy and see his new handsome friend.” She smirked a little and stepped away from the car so Ben could open the doors.

Ben groaned and gave Hux his most apologetic look. “I’m sorry. She’s gonna blow the car apart if we don’t get out. I’ll buy you a big ice-cream for this,” Ben whispered and got out. “Hi, mom.” He said and hugged his mother, which was rather awkward since she was much shorter than him.

“Hello darkness my old friend,” Hux mumbled and got out of the car too. He put his hands into his pockets and remained standing by his side of the car, idly watching the scene in front of him. He wanted to stay non-participating in their little family reunion but Mrs. Solo had evidently a different idea.

When she finally pulled away from her son, she turned to the man standing on the other side of the car and smiled at him with a mocking sparkle in her eyes. “Hello there. Look at you, you’re tall! I thought that you’d be smaller when I saw you sitting there.” She laughed a little. “Come here so I can see you properly. I didn’t know that Ben had other friends than these…lumberjacks or how do they call themselves.” Ben groaned next to her.

“It’s Knights, mum.” He tilted his head upwards and rolled his eyes. “Stop embarrassing me; I just wanted to bring you the guitar dad wanted.”

“Whatever.” She waved her hand. “It’s stupid either way.” She shook her head disapprovingly and looked at Hux. “Anyway, I’m Ben’s mother.” She offered him her hand and he politely accepted it; she could swear that she’d seen him somewhere before.

“Armitage Hux.” He smiled a little and thanked God that his daughter had a different surname.

“Armitage Hux,” She repeated with that grin she had when speaking about Ben’s friends. “What a name. And I hear that you’re British. How come that you know our Ben? Are you an actor too?”

“No, no.” Hux shook his head. “I’m not British, no. I’m not an actor either, it’s just…”

“Ah look at him, he’s blushing!” Ben’s mother chuckled and patted Hux on his chest since his shoulder was excessively high for her. “Ben.” She looked at her son. “Why don’t you take that guitar of yours to your father, hm? I’m sure that your friend would like to be anywhere else than here right now so you better hurry.”

Ben nodded hurriedly. “Right, yes. Shit.” He opened his trunk and took his old guitar from it.

“So…” Mrs. Solo looked at Hux when her son disappeared from the ear range. “Mr. Hux, I’ve never seen you before. I guess that you two haven’t known each other for a long time, am I correct?”

“Yes, you are.” Hux nodded. “We met a few weeks ago, actually. Ben is taking me to town; my car broke down and he said that he’d be available.”

“You asked our Ben for a ride when your car broke down? Are you suicidal?” She snorted.

Hux cursed his luck; why had he said that? “Just sometimes.” He smiled at her and hoped that she would stop asking questions because he didn’t know what to say to her. Did she know Emilia? How close was Ben with his parents?

“Well, I just have to say that I am happy that you’re not some punk school dropout since he always used to go for those types.” She looked at him knowingly and patted his back.

“What? No, no…we’re not…not together, no.” Hux shook his head and felt himself getting red. He was never able to lie; his complexion always gave him away.

“Sure you’re not.” She pursed her lips and nodded, smirking a little. “You’re just friends, your car broke down so Ben is taking you to town. I know.” She sighed and looked away from him for the first time since they were alone. Her gaze travelled to the main door and back to him. “I only hope that he treats you right and doesn’t embarrass us. I wouldn’t want anyone to say that I didn’t raise him right. It was hard with him, it still is, as you surely know. Is he nice to you?”

Hux blinked at her with confusion and made an uncertain sound; what should he tell her? They weren’t together, they were just going for a lunch. “Mrs. Solo, I can assure you that we’re not-“

“I’m back!” Ben called as he walked out of the house and jogged towards the car. “I’m back. Mom, stop talking to Hux, please. We have to hurry!” He practically jumped into the car and started the engine, which miraculously started on the first try. Hux was happy for his rescue and gave Ben's mum an apologetic smile.

“It was nice meeting you, Armitage. Have a nice day, you two. And please, stay safe.” She winked at him, then she went to poke her head into Ben’s car once again. “I hope that I’ll see you soon again; I don’t see you often enough,” She told Ben and kissed his cheek. “He’s very handsome.” She whispered to him and retreated.

 

They couldn’t leave soon enough.

“I’m sorry for anything she told you, really. I’m sorry that you had to meet her. I know that you didn’t want to,” Ben started rambling as soon as they hit the road. “Did she tell you something stupid? Was she making you uncomfortable? She does that to people.”

“Ben.”

“I’m serious, she’s crazy. She’s always been. I hated inviting people to our house because she was always embarrassing me in front of them and-“

“Ben,” Hux said with a little bit more emphasis and Ben finally looked at him. “It’s okay.” He smiled a little and nodded. “She didn’t say anything.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Phew. Well, okay.” Ben smiled at him crookedly. “But I’m still buying you an extra big ice-cream just in case.” He took Armitage’s hand into his and hoped that this day won’t be so shitty after all.


	14. Chapter 14

The car started dying five hundred metres before their destination and so they were forced to park in a parking lot and walk the rest of the way. Not that they minded. Hux was happy that he didn’t have to fear for his life anymore and was still thinking about how he will tell Ben that he would like to take a taxi home because he really wasn’t sure if he wanted to risk this. They entered a small Italian restaurant several minutes later and found an empty table.

“I’m hungry as a wolf.” Ben grinned when they sat down. “I hope you like Italian food.”

Hux nodded and sat down himself. “Yes.” He smiled and put his mobile phone on the table along with his wallet. “I love Italian food. I would kill for a pizza right now. Do you come here often?”

Ben nodded. “Yes, they have the best pizza, I absolutely love it here. Actually, I was here two days ago with my friends-“

“Good day, gentlemen, here are your menus.” A waiter interrupted their conversation with an easy smile, handing each one of them his carte du jour. “What would you like to drink?”

Ben looked at the waiter and nodded. “Yes, I’ll have an orange juice and wine for this gentleman over here.” He looked towards Hux and smiled innocently.

The waiter wrote it down and looked over at Hux. “Okay. Do you want white or red? We don’t have much, only one brand of each so I can’t offer you— Holy shit, Mr. Hux! What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you for ages!”

Hux looked at him in confusion; it had to be one of his students, and he just couldn’t recall his name although he seemed familiar. “Well, I’m here for lunch, obviously. I will take the white one, please.” Hux smiled at him.

“Right, stupid question.” The waiter laughed and winked at him. “You look good, you haven’t changed a bit.” He looked at Ben. “I graduated from his class like ten years ago. Do you still wash the blackboard three times before writing on it?” He turned back to Hux, who slowly nodded. “Cool, I won’t keep you from your date.” He smiled at Ben. “Congratulations, this man is a genius! Don’t chase him off.” He laughed and went away.

Ben raised his eyebrows, “Well that was interesting. You wash your blackboard three times?”

“No, I have my students doing it for me before class.” Hux shrugged. “And do you know what else is interesting?” He wanted to change the topic. “That group of yours. Those…How it was…Carpenters?”

“For fuck’s sake, it’s Knights!” Ben smashed his head on the table and groaned.

“Uhuh, are you in a cult?”

“No, it’s not a cult.” Ben straightened his back and rolled his eyes. “It’s our acting group, okay? We perform under a pseudonym.” Hux hummed with amusement and tried not to laugh. “Don’t laugh Mr. I-force-my-students-to-wash-my-blackboard.”

Hux frowned at him and clenched his jaw. “Right, you little shit knight,” he murmured and smiled at the waiter when he brought them their drinks. “Thank you,” He rolled his eyes a little when his former student winked at him once again. When he looked back at Ben, he was frowning at him with his arms crossed across his chest. “Ooh look at you, did I offend you somehow, Benjamin?” Hux lifted one eyebrow. He got no answer. “Right, exactly what I thought.” He nodded and opened his menu to choose something to eat. He then looked at his phone to see if somebody had been looking for him and saw that it was 13:45; he shuddered and turned the phone around so he didn’t have to watch the time.

 

They kept quiet until they got their meals.

In the meantime, Ben was thinking about Hux and if he was angry with him for his comment about his blackboard, he didn’t seem so but he was quiet and looking across the restaurant or at his hands. Then he noticed that Hux was drumming his fingers against the table, so Ben tilted his head to the side and started counting. It wasn’t random drumming, it was a mechanical pattern. Hux wasn’t doing it to kill the time, he didn’t seem to notice that he was doing anything at all.

On the other side, Hux was thinking too. Ben’s little comment stung deeper than it should. This young man who graduated ten years ago seemed to remember his quirks. And if he remembered them it meant that people knew about them. And that they were talking about them. And teasing him. He hated to think about it, he didn’t want to think about it, but it was like his childhood all over again. His classmates were mocking him for his habits; they were calling him names and bullying him for it. It was there during his high school years, it was there during university, it was there in his marriage and it was here now.

They both came out of their reverie when the pizza came. Hux grabbed his fork and knife and began to slice his slices into smaller pieces. He didn’t want to eat with his hands, it wasn’t acceptable, he wasn’t at home. Ben, on the other hand, grabbed his pizza slice in both hands and started stuffing his mouth with it as if there was no tomorrow. However, when he saw Hux’s quirked eyebrow, he stopped in mid-chew and swallowed what he already had in his mouth. “What?” Ben smiled toothily.

“You eat like a pig.” Hux shook his head a little.

“Well I have to eat a lot because I’m still growing, you know?” Ben said and he gave him an apologetic look. “You eat pizza with a fork and knife?” He smiled, not in a mocking way but rather surprised.

“Well yes, I don’t want to dirty my hands.” Hux nodded.

“There are napkins for this here, you know?”

“I know, but…” Hux was out of excuses so he just shrugged. “My father always told me that I should eat with cutlery when I am in a company of people. Because I don’t want to look like an uncivilised heathen.” He told Ben the truth, there was no reason to hide it from him, it was a very rational thing so why he should be ashamed?

“Okay, so if I asked you to eat it with your hands so I wouldn’t feel like an uncivilised heathen by myself, would you do it for me?” Ben had to try it; he had to try it even though he was sure that Hux will say no. Hux shook his head a little, “Okay.” Ben nodded and stabbed his own fork into one of Hux’s slices, lifting it into the air and putting it on a napkin.

“What…What are you doing??” Hux paled, horror in his face. Ben didn’t answer him, he took the pizza into his hand with a precision so he wouldn’t touch it with his skin and lifted it towards Hux’s mouth.

“See? You don’t have to touch the slice. There’s a completely clean napkin under it, just peel it off a little, like this,” Ben moved the napkin a little bit away so there was a part of the slice without it and smiled. “C’mon.” He moved the slice closer to his lips. Hux hesitantly opened his mouth and took a bite, chewing a little and then swallowing. “See?” Ben smiled and Hux gave him such a wide smile that Ben thought the whole room would explode from how luminescent it was.

“Thank you,” Hux mumbled and took the slice from Ben’s hand, carefully avoiding touching it. Ben wiggled his eyebrows at him and everything was forgiven.

 

Everything would had probably stayed perfect if it wasn't for Hux nearly choking on an olive when his mobile phone started vibrating on the table with Emilia’s face smiling up at them both. “I have to pick it up, Ben. What if something happened? People die surfing every day.”

“Well, she isn’t dead if she’s calling you.” Ben set his lips into a thin line. “But sure, pick it up and say that I send her my regards.”

Hux looked at Ben and nodded. “You’re right.” He muted the call so it wouldn’t be vibrating and finished his wine. “Well, shall we go?”

Ben nodded. “Sure, I’ll pay the bill, okay? And then I will buy you your ice-cream on the way to the cinema.”

Hux smiled at him, “Okay.” He patiently waited for Ben to go away from the table to pay for their meals at the bar and picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Dad? Where are you? You usually pick up after five seconds max. Never mind, I just wanted to tell you that I’ll be back tomorrow evening, okay?”

“Sure.” Hux nodded, watching Ben’s back. Speaking of Ben… “How’s Ben?”

“Ben? Fine! Amazing, he’s just over there buying us some mojitos.”

“Is he? So are things better between you two?”

“Sure they are, we talked a lot and I think that we figured out what we want from each other and that’s it. We’re happy where we are now. Hey paps, I would really like to talk with you longer but I have to go, the mojitos, remember? I’ll see you tomorrow evening!” She hung up and Hux put the phone down, still watching Ben from behind. We’re happy where we are now. Ben did look happy when he was feeding him pizza. And he was feeling quite content too. Hux smiled and got up from the table, he put all his things back into his pockets and went to wait for him at the door. When they were leaving, he was trying to pretend that he didn’t hear his former student wishing them a nice date.

 

The film was very nice, Hux didn’t think that it wouldn’t be but he would be lying if he said that he wasn’t afraid that he would not enjoy it. Maybe he wouldn’t enjoy it if he came to see it with somebody different but Ben kept him entertained the whole time. Ben was whispering him about the context and Easter eggs that he wouldn’t otherwise understand, he laughed at Hux’s comments about how some moments in the film didn’t really make a sense since it was completely against the laws of physics. They had sweet popcorn because it was Ben’s favourite, Hux couldn’t understand why but he bought it for him anyway.

They were nearing Ben’s car, Hux was still thinking how to tell him that it would be better if they just took a taxi, when he froze dead in tracks and grabbed Ben’s arm to stop him too.

“What’s the matter?” Ben looked at him with a puzzled expression and followed the direction of Hux’s stare. “Who is it?” Ben frowned a little when he saw two men in a parking lot where he had parked his own car earlier that day.

“My husband,” Hux muttered.

Ben blinked. “This is your husband?” He was taken aback; he didn’t expect to see someone like this. He was starting to feel self-conscious just from looking at him. At least he was taller than he was because he certainly wasn’t better looking in any other way. Sure, he saw Hux’s wedding photo in his house but he expected that the man who was there with him would look somehow worse now when he was older. It seemed as if the bearded Greek god heard his thoughts because his eyes snapped up from the bed frame he was trying to stuff into his sleek black car together with the other guy. “I think he saw us,” Ben whispered to Hux.

“Armitage! What are you… hi!” Poe nodded and struggled to hold the bed frame still, it was far too big for him to handle.

Hux smiled uncertainly, “Hello Poe.” He nodded.

“Hey.” He greeted him for the second time and looked at Ben with a confused expression, then he looked at Hux with raised eyebrows and over his shoulder at Finn. “Finn and I had to buy a new bed, you see?” He laughed a little. “The older one broke down.”

Finn, who seemed probably as comfortable with the whole situation as Ben, just smiled bashfully. “Yeah…” He nodded.

Hux made a desperate sound and felt how his legs were giving away when Ben grabbed him by the waist and pulled him closer to him. “That sucks, man,” Ben nodded. “Fortunately, something like this could never happen to us. We hardly use the bed, am I right honey?” Hux blinked at him in shock. “Now when I think about it, there probably isn’t a place in the house where we didn’t have sex.”

Hux swallowed but when he saw the look in Poe’s face, confidence overwhelmed him and he nodded. “Yes, Ben is right.” He patted Ben’s chest. “Well, it was nice seeing you, have a nice day. Come, honey, I don’t think that Poe can hold the bed any longer.”

Ben smirked and took Hux’s hand, leading him towards his car. When he turned around to look once again at the utter disbelief on Hux’s husband’s face, he saw how the bed frame slipped down and fell on Finn’s leg.

 

When they both sat down into Ben’s car and closed the door, Hux burst out laughing. “What the fuck was that, Ben? Did you see the look on his face! That was priceless! Oh my god, you absolutely kicked his ass.” Ben stared at Hux with a little smile on his lips. Hux’s eyes were shining, they were almost non-existent when he was laughing, there were light wrinkles in the outer corners of them but it didn’t make him any less beautiful. He was tilting his head back when he was laughing, clapping his hands in one second and rubbing them against his thighs only moments later. He was absolutely radiant, he looked the happiest Ben’s ever seen him. Hux noticed that Ben was watching him and stopped laughing, clearing his throat and scratching his head. “What?” He breathed out.

“Nothing,” Ben shook his head. “It’s just… You should laugh more often, you’re gorgeous.” He smiled and leaned closer to kiss him.

“You don’t have to kiss me, Ben.” Hux mumbled against his lips, “I’m sure that he’s not watching us anymore.”

“I know.” Ben nodded. “But I never want to stop.” He kissed him again and Hux’s eyes fluttered shut. Ben cupped his cheeks into his hands and when he felt Hux’s open his lips just the slightest, he mustered the courage to use his tongue. Hux tasted of sweet popcorn and cigarettes, his two favourite things in the world and he couldn’t get enough of it.

“For this, I’m going to cook you the best dinner you ever had,” Hux smiled into the kiss and caressed Ben’s jaw with the tip of his fingers. He looked so young, smiling at him with his pearly white crooked teeth and kissed-red lips.

“You want to spoil me with tasty dinners and archive wine?” Ben smirked a little and Hux nodded.

“I want to spoil you in every way possible, Benjamin.”

Ben shivered and felt himself harden. “You know I love it when you call me that.” He kissed him again, this time under the swell of his lower lip. “I love it so much.” He kissed Hux’s on his chin. “I want to spoil you too because you deserve it like hell.” He started kissing him along his jaw towards his ear and whispered: “I will spoil you so much that you will keep cooking me dinners forever.” Ben smirked a little and took Hux’s earlobe between his teeth. “I would love to break a bed with you, Hux.”

Hux let out a shuddering breath and shivered as he felt cold creeping up all over his body. “Okay.” He nodded breathlessly, “Just… Just take me home first.”

 

“Oh my god, you should kick that teacher shit into its ass and be a chef instead, that’s fucking delicious!” Ben exclaimed while eating a stew Hux prepared. Armitage was planning on having it for dinner yesterday, so he just heated it up and served it to Ben as a starter.

“Thank you,” He chuckled a little while he was preparing meat for steaks. “My mum taught me; she could cook the best stew far and wide. I loved to cook with her when I was little, probably because my father never let me to do anything in the house. He just wanted me to read and study and play rugby.” Hux rolled his eyes at the memory. “So I used to sneak to my mom's house, it wasn’t that far when I learned how to ride a bike. She taught me how to bake too.”

“You know how to bake?” Ben blinked in shock. “Well, that’s something!”

“Yeah, I know, shocking. Do you want it raw or well done?” Hux looked at him over his shoulder.

“I don’t have a preference, I’ll take the same as you.” Ben smiled at him.

“Alright then.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Do I miss what?” Hux put the steaks onto a pan.

“Cooking with your mum, being with her. My mum always scolds me for not coming to see them, she says she misses me but I think she just wants to seem nice. They’re happy that I’m out, I left as soon as I finished high school, you know? I couldn’t stand it, all the stupid rules and disappointed looks whenever I did something they didn’t approve of.”

“Of course I miss her, Ben.” Hux turned around and leaned against the counter. “I miss her so much. Sometimes I think about what she’d thought about me if she knew who I am now. If she saw me in this house, in the middle of a divorce, with a daughter I didn’t raise, with my fucked up head and…” Hux sighed. “I think that you should visit your parents more often. From what I’ve seen today, your mother seemed nice and I think that she cares about you. You’re her only child. And I don’t want you to end up like me, wondering about what-ifs that will never happen because it’s too late now.”

Ben was looking at him for a moment and then resumed eating. “I think that mum’s the better one from the pair. The real problem is my father, be happy that you hadn’t met him.”

Hux snorted a little, “Fathers.” He nodded. “But I bet he can’t be worse than my old man.”

“That bad?” Ben snorted too and slurped from his spoon, which sent Hux cringing.

 

Armitage nodded. “Yup,” he sighed and went back to cooking.

After a delicious meal and a bottle of wine later, Ben and Hux ended up stumbling up the stairs into Hux’s bedroom. As soon as they were upstairs, Ben swept Hux off his feet and decided to carry him to his bedroom bridal style. “You’re heavier than you seem,” Ben chuckled and Hux punched him into his shoulder before clinging to him like a tick. “Well, milady, we’re here,” Ben smiled when he stopped next to the bed and laid Hux on it.

Hux kept his hands locked behind Ben’s neck and he guided him down with him, Ben happily obliging, kneeling on the bed and crawling further as Hux shifted into its centre. “What have I told you about your stupid nicknames, Ben?” He shook his head a little.

“That you love them?” Ben smirked and pressed his lips against Hux’s. Not really interested in an answer, he automatically started working on Hux’s buttons, and they were too small for his fingers. “Do you like this shirt a lot?”

“What?” Hux pulled away from him a little and looked down at the piece of clothing in question. “I don’t- Ben!” Ben ripped the shirt apart with such a force that the buttons flew on the ground. “What the- ummm…” Hux was once again silenced with Ben’s mouth. “Fuck,” he whispered and spread his legs so Ben was more comfortable. “Ben…Ben I…Can we turn off the lights?” He whimpered when he felt the younger man’s lips travelling down across his neck.

“Why?” Ben looked up and caressed Hux’s cheek with his thumb.

“Because I’m old,” Hux admitted quietly.

“You’re gorgeous, that’s what you are,” Ben mumbled against the soft skin on his collarbone and kissed him there. “I want to see you.”

Hux tugged at Ben’s hair to make him lift his head and once he did, he grabbed his jaw and pulled him back up so he could kiss him properly.


	15. Chapter 15

Emilia pulled away from the kiss and frowned, “Why he doesn’t pick up his phone?”

“What?” The boy, she pulled away from, looked at her with confused eyes. “Who?”

“Ben. I tried to call him at least two times today and he’s not picking it up. What is he doing? He shouldn’t be doing anything. We were supposed to have a weekend together and now he’s not picking up.”

“Ben? You dumped him, that’s why. Come back, Em, hm?” He caressed her shoulder and pulled her back down so he could kiss her. She obeyed, laying back onto her pillow and kissed him back but pulled away after few seconds.

“I bet that he’s with some slut, I bet he’s cheating on me.” She rubbed her neck.

“He can’t be cheating on you when you dumped him,” The boy sighed and laid back on the sleeping mat, rubbing his face. “It’s not like you can do anything about it anyway,” he yawned. Emilia was already searching for her mobile phone in the heap of their sleeping bags. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to call him,” She found the phone and put it on her pillow, she started looking for her knickers.

“For fuck’s sake, Em, stop with this bullshit.”

“It’s not bullshit, who does he think he is? We broke up yesterday and he’s already sleeping with somebody else?”

There was a snort, “That's rich, coming from you.”

 

Armitage opened his eyes in the morning’s sun with a pleasant smile on his face. He felt like a new person. He moved his hand into the direction of Ben’s sleeping body and found the bed empty; he blinked in confusion and rolled over. Dread washed over him but it easily went away when he saw a note lying on the pillow.

_I went to buy something for breakfast -B._

Hux smiled softly and let his head fell back into the pillows with a sheepish smile on his face. He felt as if he was fifteen again when he closed his eyes and touched his lips with his fingertips. He purred sleepily and snuggled into the blankets which still smelled of Ben.

He was falling asleep again when he heard rattling of keys coming from downstairs and opened his eyes. Ben was back, he wondered when Ben woke up because he was a really light sleeper. Hux got up from the bed and put on fresh boxers and his silk robe Phasma brought him from one of her photo sessions in Paris. He quickly fastened the silken belt around his waist and went down; he was almost downstairs when Emilia exited the kitchen.

“Emilia!” Hux blinked in shock and felt his insides do a big flop. “What…What are you doing here?”

“Hey dad,” She smiled at him. “I had a bad night, I had to come home earlier, wasn’t feeling very well.” She nodded and then her expression turned dark. “You’re an asshole, do you know that? You did all this behind my back?” She waved to the kitchen, where they left things from yesterday's dinner, and crossed her arms across her chest. Hux felt his heart stop.

He gulped and shakily made down the last two steps. “Em, I… I can explain it- I didn’t…”

He couldn’t even finish the sentence when she interrupted him. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’ll have someone over? I wouldn’t come here.” She shook her head. “Do I know him?”

Hux could swear that he was having a heart attack. “N-no? I…I didn’t tell you because you said that you’ll be back in the evening. You don’t know him, no.” He shook his head.

“Uhuh,” she smirked. “Where is he? I want to see him! Is he still sleeping?”

“Um, yes actually. He’s still sleeping.”

Emilia made three steps towards the stairs and Hux stopped her abruptly, “What? Is he naked?” Hux couldn’t do anything else but to nod. Emilia’s smirk got only wider. “Okay, I won’t disturb him.”  She laughed a little, Hux bit his lip and chewed on it.

“I’ll…I’ll be right back.” He nodded and ran up the stairs to put on some clothes. He took the first pieces of clothing he found and ran out of the house.

“Okay.” Emilia shrugged and went upstairs to have a shower.

 

Ben was whistling while walking back to Hux’s house, he had woken up early because Hux had punched him in his face while sleeping. He wanted to buy him something warm and sweet for breakfast as a little thank you for their night together. It was the least he could do. And so he went to buy something to the little bakery they passed yesterday when going home. Some old lady simply decided that she wants to bake because she doesn’t want to go the centre every morning and that was it, the sweetest muffins and doughnuts.

The only flaw in his plan was Emilia waiting at home in the shower and Hux running after him and missing him because of a garbage truck driving between them and shielding them from each other.

Ben opened the house with spare keys he found on the cabinet near the door and silently entered. He didn’t want to wake Hux. Ben went to the kitchen and put the pastry on a tray along with orange juice and apple he found in the bowl on the table. Then he silently walked up the stairs and peeked into the bedroom to find Hux’s bed empty. He frowned a little but when he heard the sound of the shower, he smiled and put the tray on the bed. He immediately took off his clothes and set off for the bathroom.

 

Ben opened doors to the bathroom and smirked, when he saw ginger hair in the shower, not minding that the person inside was significantly shorter than Hux, he slowly opened the sliding door to the shower and nearly cursed aloud when he saw Emilia’s back. Ben hurriedly closed the door and escaped from the bathroom, hoping that Emilia wouldn’t see him. He ran to the bedroom to put his clothes back on and fled the stairs downward, still putting on his clothes (and managing to put on his t-shirt backwards) right in the moment when the main door to the house opened.

When Hux saw Ben nearly falling the rest of the staircase upon seeing him, he immediately paled – not sure whether Emilia saw him or not.

“What the fuck is she doing here??” Ben hissed when he got to the door and started putting on his shoes in haste.

“I don’t know.” Hux shook his head, “You have to get out.”

“But what about last-“

“You must go. Now.” Hux pushed Ben’s chest so he went outside backwards, still fighting him to let him stay.

“Will you call me?”

“Yes, just go.” The bathroom door upstairs opened and closed and Hux shut the door right in Ben’s face. When he turned around and saw that Emilia wasn’t anywhere in sight, he rubbed his face and groaned. So much for a nice and calm morning. Hux went back to his bedroom and sat down on his bed, next to the tray with pastry and juice that Ben brought here earlier. He grabbed one of the doughnuts and bit into it, sighing – the weight of what he had done finally hitting him.

 

“Dad?” Hux looked up from the floor and looked at his daughter standing in between the doorframe. She was clearly just out of the shower. “Is everything okay? He’s gone already?”

Hux nodded. Not knowing to which of the questions. “Yeah, he is. He had an emergency and had to leave.”

“Oh,” she nodded as she put a t-shirt over her head. “Shame. I wanted to meet him.” She smiled.

“You’re going somewhere?” Hux ignored her comment, he was sure that he wouldn’t like meeting his new- … what was it? Who was Ben to him?

Emilia nodded. “Yes, I need to talk to Ben.” She sighed. Thinking of devil. 

“Why would you-“ Hux stopped in the middle of a sentence and frowned, “You said that Ben was with you, Emilia. Does this mean that he wasn’t? Did you lie to me? Were you even surfing?” It was probably a little bit hypocritical to accuse her of lying but he wasn’t lying per se, or was he?

Emilia paled a little and sighed. “Oh fuck,” She cursed and rubbed hair face. “I was surfing, dad. Just…Not with Ben.” She mumbled. “I mean…Other people were there, so I wasn’t alone, you can ask them if you want. I didn’t tell you because…Because I didn’t want you to worry about me, you already have so much on your mind.” She tried to smile but Hux was still frowning. “I…I broke up with Ben on Friday,” she nodded and looked at him uncertainly.

“You broke up with him?” So it was final. Ben only told him that they were on a break.

“Yes, I broke up with him. But… Yesterday, I was thinking and Ben wasn’t picking up my phone for the whole evening and…I got really jealous, you know? Why would he ignore me? I have to talk to him, dad.” She whined.

“So you want him back?” Hux mumbled and Emilia nodded. He suddenly felt sick. That was it. He was sure that either Emilia will found out about what happened last night or that Ben will come back to her because why wouldn’t he? He bought them a flat for god’s sake!

“I think so, dad. I know that it’s only been two days but… He’s already sleeping with some fucking slut, why else he wouldn’t pick up my phone? I tried to look at his Facebook and Instagram but I couldn’t find anything! I have to talk to him.”

Slut.

Was that what he was? A fucking slut?

“I’m sure that it’s not a slut, Em.” He shook his head.

“So you also think that he’s already fucking somebody else??” She blinked at him in shock. “Well, that’s just great. When even you think something like this, it must be true you know, of fuck, what am I gonna do?” Hux only shrugged, not trusting his voice anymore. “I should probably put on something nicer, don’t you think? Yeah, I’ll...I’ll do that…” She said and walked away to her room.

Hux almost immediately got up from his bed and closed the door behind her. Maybe he should warn Ben what was coming for him, what was coming for both of them. He was sure that he was going to hell for this. He was sure of it.

 

Phasma was just packing her things for a week-long work trip to New York when her mobile phone started ringing. She didn’t acknowledge it in any way and went to pack her hygiene, however, when she came back from the bathroom the mobile phone was still ringing. “Oh my god,” She grumbled and went to take it from the charger in her kitchen. When she saw the caller ID, she sighed and sat down on the couch. “Yes?” She honestly wondered what happened now. Was she friends with a grown-up man or a child?

_“I fucked it up.”_  Came the voice from the other side of the line.

“What did you fuck up? Did your date go badly?” She rolled her eyes, Armitage was never good at flirting so she wouldn’t be surprised if an almost twenty years younger boy was not head over heels by his poor attempts.

_“No, no. It went splendid, really. We had pizza, went to a cinema and then we had dinner at my place.”_

“Nothing more?” She wouldn’t be surprised, Hux was almost kind of a prude. Probably because of his upbringing.

_“We had sex if that’s what you want to know, yes_.” Hux sighed into the phone and Phasma could almost see him rubbing his face.

“You fucked?? And you’re only telling me now??”

_“And when was I supposed to tell you? I haven’t spoken to you since yesterday!”_

“You should have started the conversation with this!” She laughed mischievously. “Was it good? How big is he? Were you a bee or a flower? C’mon, tell me all the details!”

Armitage groaned.  _“Phasma, this is not what I am calling you for. Yes, it was amazing and yes, he is…well, I don’t have much to compare him with but he’s bigger than Poe, that’s for certain.”_

“Top or bottom? C’mon c’mon c’mon, tell me!”

_“Are you fifteen?”_  Hux grumbled and sighed.  _“I was feeling vulnerable last night, okay? So I let him be on top, he said he doesn’t mind switching, which is good, so…but still, not my point.”_

“So what’s the point here, hm? Why are you wasting my precious time?”

_“Emilia got home this morning and nearly saw him,”_  Hux mumbled. _“She was supposed to get back today’s evening but somehow she got all paranoid last night and decided to come back and talk Ben into coming back to her.”_ He rubbed his face and Phasma could hear that his voice was strained.

“She wants him back? Fucking kids these days…” She cursed and then started laughing at her own pun.

_“You’re laughing at me?”_

“No, of course, I’m not.” She cleared her throat to regain her composure. “Well, and did she talk to him yet?”

_“I don’t know,”_  Hux sighed.  _“She left ten minutes ago with my car; I’m just… what if she finds out, Gwen? What if I fucked up my relationship with her because I was feeling alone and drunk and…loved?”_

“What was the last bit?”

_“He was treating me so nicely, Phas. He paid for the lunch even though he’s surely broke and he bought me ice cream afterwards_ ,” Phasma rolled her eyes, was Hux five years old or something? A guy buys him an ice cream and his pants hit the floor?  _“And the sex was really nice too, the first time is always a little bit awkward but it was nice."_

“Armitage,” Phasma sighed. “I think that you should wait and see. If the feeling is mutual, then he will not go back to her, right? And if he’s a piece of shit then well… All of the men are, except for you darling, of course.”

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

Hux was sitting in the kitchen grading his schoolwork when Emilia got back home. He was drinking what has remained from the yesterday’s dinner and silently cursing the stupidity of some people (the second years were evidently not fond of quadratics) when she entered the kitchen and sat opposite from him at the other side of the table. He decided that he’ll try to act as nonchalant as possible since Ben assured him that he won’t sell him out and that he will not tell her that he’s been fucking her father the other night. Maybe it was a stupid thing to do, but Hux trusted him.

And so when he looked up from a test, which he marked with E, he smiled at her lightly and raised his eyebrows in anticipation. “So? How did it go?” He said with a normal hint of interest although he was dying inside with the need to know every exact word that was uttered.

Emilia shrugged and sighed, “Not well.”

“Not well? So…you’re not…back together?” Emilia shook her head and Hux slowly nodded. He had a big urge to get up, go around the corner to the hall and do a happy dance – but he didn’t. “Do you want to tell me more about it or is it too awkward to talk about it with your father?”

“I don’t know dad. He just… He told me that I should rethink it before I broke up with him and that he thinks that a broken mirror can never be fixed without seeing its flaws, so… We said goodbye and I left.” She nodded and folded her hands in her lap, sighing. “He was too psycho for me anyway.”

“Too psycho?”

She nodded. “Yeah, he’s too impulsive you know? I mean, he bought us a fucking flat. Which I’ve just seen and it’s a shithole. Plus, he hates his parents, I have never even met them in the whole month. And he’s obsessed with all that nerdy stuff and… and his friends are really fucking stupid too.”

“The Knights?” Hux raised his eyebrow.

“Yeah, the-…. Hey, how do you know about them?” Emilia frowned.

Hux blinked, alarm ringing in his head. “Rey told me,” He said the first thing that came to his mind. “She’s his cousin. We work together.”

“Ah, wow, she’s cool, I guess.” Emilia nodded. “I met her once. Actually, I met her this Wednesday, Ben was playing this…strange musical and she was there. She’s helping them with the music or something.” Hux rubbed his lips, relieved that his lie turned out well. “So… I guess that I’ll just…I’ll be in my room if you need me, okay?” He could hear her voice getting thicker. “I really don’t know how you can be gay, dad, men are so stupid.” She hiccupped and almost ran from the room. Hux put his face into his hands and let out a deep breath.

“Oh god.” He shook his head with a hand still across his mouth and finished his glass of wine in one go. “I am so fucked.”

 

And fucked he was, he was so fucked that he didn’t pick up Ben’s calls or write him back when he tried to reach him for a whole week. His absolutely mature way of dealing with things came to an end when Rey tapped at his shoulder.

“Hux? This is for you,” She handed him her phone with a frown.

“For me? Who is it?” He wasn’t stupid, of course that it occurred to him that it was probably Ben.

“It’s Mrs Peterson, she said that she doesn’t have your number and since I have Peter for PE she called me to reach you, she says that it’s urgent.”

Peter Peterson was not only a boy with a stupid name; he was also the biggest idiot in the whole school. His parents owned a print shop in the town and so he thought that his money could solve anything. “What is it now?” Hux sighed and put the phone to his ear. “Good afternoon, Mrs Peterson, what’s the matter?” He straightened his back when speaking to her even though she couldn’t see him.

_“Why are you ignoring me?”_

As you probably guessed, it wasn’t Mrs Peterson at all.

“Why I’m… Oh god,” He rubbed his cheek and wanted the floor to swallow him whole. “I’m not ignoring you, Ben.”

“ _Ah yes, you are. You’re not picking up my calls, you’re not answering me, you didn’t even accept my friend request on Facebook – that’s what I call ignoring. Or is it a way, in your world, how you treat everybody after you have sex with them?!”_ Ben almost roared into the speaker.

Rey choked on her coffee.

“No, it isn’t. I just… Emilia was crying for three days in a row, Ben. I can’t deal with this.”

_“So what she was crying? She dumped me in the first place.”_

“Ben, I am her father. I can’t afford to risk my relationship with the only constant in my life because of someone who has a crush on me.” There was no way Rey didn’t know what was going on and so he didn’t bother with keeping it low.

_“A crush? It’s not a crush!”_

“Oh yes, it is,” Rey whispered into her mug and Hux sent her an ominous glare.

“ _I thought that… that you wanted me to tell her no. I thought that you wanted to be with me, Hux. I thought that being with someone mature and older than me would mean dating someone who has his priorities set and-“_

“Dating??” Hux nearly shrieked. “Oh god, Ben, can we talk about this somewhere private and not over a phone with your cousin listening to every word we say because you’re practically screaming into the phone?”

There was a silence for a moment,  _“Fine. I’ll pick you up at eight and then we’ll talk.”_ The line went dead.

“Well, that was interesting,” Rey smirked from her table when Hux handed her the phone back. “You’re sleeping with my cousin?”

“No,” Hux sighed and turned back to his work. “And it’s none of your business.”

“It is my business; he’s my family, Hux! He told me everything anyway,” She shrugged and took her coffee in both of her hands. “I really don’t know what he sees in you, I mean, you’re handsome, sure… but you’re like… I don’t know. You’re too Hux.”

“What the fuck does this even mean, Rey?”

She shrugged her shoulders again, “I don’t know. But you should know that Ben doesn’t do things halfway. And if you break his heart, I’m going to out you do Krennic for bitch slapping me like some abusive lunatic and you’re going to lose this job.” She glared at him and turned away.

_At six o’clock Hux got a text message which read_ _‘Wear smtg comfy im takin u out’._

He stared at it for five minutes and spent them thinking about if he should teach Ben how to write.

Ben arrived ten minutes after eight while Hux has been already pacing in the living room for fifteen minutes. He stopped the car two houses down the street so that Emilia wouldn’t see them and sent Hux a text that he’s waiting outside. Hux didn’t bid farewell to his daughter since she was upstairs in her room and went out towards his talk with Ben.

They didn’t talk much while driving, only a silent hello and hi and lots of awkward silence. Hux wanted to say something but he didn’t want to start their evening with apologies for something that wasn’t even there to begin with.

Therefore, when they stopped in the town centre in a parking lot near a bar, they were both happy to be out of the rather small space of Ben’s car. They walked inside in silence and sat down in a booth, the bar was still quite empty since it was only the beginning of the evening and Hux could see that it was probably one of those places made for young people to gather. He didn’t want to complain and so he sat and kept his mouth shut.

 

“So?” Ben yawned a little into his hand and looked at Hux.

“So?” Hux raised one eyebrow and folded his hands on his lap.

“Do you want to be with me or not?” Ben blurted out and Hux appreciated that he didn’t want to bend around the bush. “Because honestly, I want to be with you, if it wasn’t already apparent enough.”

“Ben, look…” Hux shook his head and rubbed his face with both hands. “You’re a very handsome and nice person,” He didn’t know if he should call him a man or a boy, probably a man since he was twenty-five and when he was Ben’s age he was already a father. “And that night was the best thing that happened to me in a very long time. But when I saw Emilia, I can’t break her heart like that, Ben.” He shook his head. “I mean… We barely know each other, we had two dinners and one lunch and we slept together,” Hux whispered the last part and looked around them paranoidly, “and Emilia is my daughter, and I love her. And I… I don’t want to be a bad person for risking my relationship with her because of someone I’ve only just met, even when I’ve fallen for him hard. I don’t want to be one of those men who gets crazy when he’s over forty and throws away all his life and starts to behave like an idiot only because he feels like the life is running from him and he wants to feel younger.”

“Then don’t be that guy, Hux. You clearly like me. And… and don’t you think that it would be a little bit too much self-sacrificing to throw your chance for a love of a lifetime away only because I dated your daughter? It wasn’t even that serious, for fuck’s sake. We’ve been together for over a month, that’s like… that’s nothing.” Ben shook his head and frowned a little. “I mean, if you.. if you want to get to know me, sure, let’s do it. We can… I don’t know,” he threw his hands into the air, “We can write each other letters so we would get to know each other better like in a 18th century if that’s the kind of shit you’re into. Just please, don’t ignore me like I’m nothing to you.”

“I don’t want you to write letters to me, Benjamin. Your text messages were enough for me to see that you’re writing potential is equivalent to zero.”

Ben just shrugged.

“But if, let’s say, I would like to give this a chance…could we possibly take it slow? I know that it’s maybe dumb since we’ve already slept together but I think that it would make things a little bit easier for me. I have a lot of shit going around in my life right now and I don’t want to get crazy… Crazier than I am now.”

Ben was thinking for a moment before he nodded and beamed at Hux, “’Kay. Sure. I’ll fetch us some beer.” He winked at him and got up from the table.  

 

When Ben got back with their drinks and sat down, this time next to Hux (but still around the table’s corner) instead of opposite from him, the older man was impressed with what was presented before him.

“Is that a Guinness?” Hux asked and Ben nodded with enthusiasm.

“Yes! I knew that they serve it here and so I thought that maybe you would like to have some,” Ben smiled at him. “So, what do you say to ten questions each? So we could get to know each other better, huh?” Hux looked at him amusedly but nodded. “Cool, you can have one veto if the shit gets too real. I’ll start.” Ben tapped on his chin and hummed. “Favourite colour?”

“Oh god, not this question.” Hux groaned. “I don’t know… blue?”

“You’re asking me?”

“No, no… It’s blue.” He nodded. “Okay, yours?”

Kylo laughed a little. “That’s a tricky question. My most ultimate favourite colour would be red, probably. But now it’s somewhere between green and blue,” He nodded.

“Oh? I am shocked; I thought that the only colour you are able to tolerate is black.” Hux was trying hard not to blush because he was not an idiot. Ben was too cliché not to mention the colour of his eyes.

“Very funny,” Ben smirked. “Okay, my second question will be… why did you change your accent when speaking to my mother? That was really bizarre.”

“Oh god, you noticed?” Hux drank from his pint, “Well, I’m… I guess that I just got nervous? I wanted to make a good impression and…And I always try to speak to the parents of my students in proper English so they won’t report me for corrupting their children’s way of speaking. And before you ask, yes, that did really happen to me in the past. And no, I don’t know why I did it, I am sorry if it disturbed you in any way.”

Ben shook his head in bewilderment, “Okay, fair enough. Even though I think that you can speak anyhow you like in front of my parents.” He shrugged.

“Oh? Does this mean that you want me to meet them again?”

“You just wasted your question, by the way. But well, I don’t know, maybe. Minimally on our wedding, you know.” He smirked and started laughing when Hux dead paled. “I’m kidding, sorry darling.” He snickered. “Soooo… My third question, your favourite animal?”

“Why would you ask me this?” Hux’s voice was still an octave higher from the shock. “Llamas, if you need to know.”

“What?” Ben started laughing. “Llamas? You mean like alpacas?” Hux nodded. “Why?”

“They’re funny.” Hux shrugged. “Did you see The Emperor’s New Groove? Llamas are fucking hilarious!”

“Okay okay,” Ben snorted and drank from his glass, still shaking his head with amusement.

“What is your favourite animal if you’re so clever?”

“Well dogs, obviously, I’m not stupid.” Ben dried his mouth with the back of his hand.

“How boring.” Hux rolled his eyes.

“Dogs are not boring, Hux! They’re fun impersonated!”

“Yeah right.” Hux pursed his lips, his father had a dog. A big vicious animal that once tried to bite his nose off. He finished his glass and tried not to think about that beast. “Excuse me for a moment,” He got up from the table, “We’ll continue with this lovely game when I’m back.” Hux patted Ben’s hand and went to the toilet.

 

“Kylo!” Ben turned abruptly when he heard his nickname and sighed when he saw his friends coming closer. “What are you doing here, man?”

“Hey guys,” He lifted his hand in a pseudo wave and took a swig from his beer. “Actually, I’m here with- oh and now you’re sitting down, great.” He rubbed his face when his three friends slit down into the booth with him.

“You’re not happy to see us? C’mon Benny, we missed you!” Gabrielle, the only girl of the three of them, plopped herself right next to Ben and nudged him with her elbow.

“I’ve seen you two days ago, Gabby,” Ben rolled his eyes. “What are you doing here? Can’t you sit anywhere else?”

“But you’re alone here!” Laughed one of the two boys, David, the second one disappeared to get them something to drink.

“No, actually, I’m not. I’m on a date.”

“Already?” Gabrielle blinked, “I thought that Emilia broke up with you only a week ago! You surely don’t waste time, Benny!”

“And where is that date of yours?” David asked.

“On the toilet,” Ben grumbled, so much for a calm night with Hux.

 

When Hux exited the toilets, he went to a bar to get them another two beers and then walked back to their table. However, it seemed that Ben was no more alone. He could see a blue-haired girl sitting next to him, and a brown haired boy, both of them dressed only in black and as he got closer, he could see that the girl had a nose ring. Who were these people?

Hux stopped by their table and cleared his throat when Ben didn’t notice that he was back. The first one to look up was the blue-haired girl. Hux noticed that apart from the nose ring she had roses tattooed on her shoulder and angel wings in her neckline. “Oh fuck, do you want to see our IDs Mr policeman?” Hux blinked in confusion and Ben started laughing.

“That’s not a policeman, you idiot,” Ben smirked. “That’s my date.” Hux sat down back on his previous place and pushed Ben’s beer towards him.

“This is your date?” David blinked and started laughing. “Your date my ass, he looks like my former math teacher. Absolute jackass, by the way.”

“David Hoffmann, am I right?” Hux lifted his eyebrow and David shrieked.

“Holy flying shit on a surfing cow, it’s him! Fuck! That’s like the worst fucking nightmare! How can you date this guy, Ben? He’s a total dickhead!”

Ben glared at him and bared his teeth in such a feral way that David nearly fell out of his seat as he tried to get as far from his as possible. “Say that again and I’ll kill you,” Ben growled and took Hux’s hand into his.

“Yes, David, shut your mouth. You know that Ben would do it.” Gabrielle sighed and looked Hux over. “I’m Gabrielle, don’t mind them.” She waved her manicured hand. “You’re pretty.”

“Sorry man, it’s just…” David looked between Ben and Hux and then sighed, “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.” He mumbled and Ben nodded, rubbing circles on the back of Hux’s hand.

Hux sighed, “It’s okay. I’m sure that it was just a misunderstanding. We can start anew, right?” David nodded and looked into the crowd.

“Hey, Lucas! Here!” David waved at his friend who was carrying their drinks and moved closer to Gabrielle so he could sit.

Lucas gave them their drinks and sat down. “Enchanté,” He offered Hux his hand. “I’m Lucas.”

“Hux, nice to meet you.” Armitage smiled and looked at Ben a little bit helplessly. “So…These are you Knights?”

Ben nodded. “Yes, half of them.” He sipped from his glass of beer and leaned closer to Hux’s ear. “I’m so sorry, should I send them away?” Hux shook his head a little and Ben smiled, kissing him just under the earlobe. “Alright, babe.”

“Awww, you’re so cute together! Are you two dating already?” Gabrielle smiled at them with dreamy eyes.

“What? No, no…” Hux laughed a little and shook his head. “We’re not. No.”

Ben frowned, “You could be a little bit less disgusted by it, you know?” He looked at Hux sadly but then he smiled, putting a hand around his shoulders. “We’re not dating, yet. Huxy wants to take things slow.”

Gabrielle cooed once more and extended her hand towards Ben, “Give me your phone; I’ll make you a photo.” Ben rolled his eyes and obeyed.


	17. Chapter 17

„I’m once again very sorry that you had to talk to them.“ Ben apologised for what had to be a hundredth time. “They’re usually less… who am I kidding, they’re always like that.” He laughed and stopped by his car, caressing Hux’s cheek and smiling at him. “You’re so hot, Huxy.”

“And you’re drunk.” Hux shook his head a little and smiled. “They were okay, even David.”

“Oh fuck David, he’s an idiot. He thinks that he’s the best actor there is, you know? He loves Shakespeare and all this shit.”

Hux laughed and put Ben’s hair behind his ear. “And you don’t?”

“I don’t what?”

“Love Shakespeare and all this shit?”

“I love you, not some old guy who liked dick jokes,” Ben smirked and gave Hux a quick peck on his nose.

“You love me?” Hux murmured drunkenly.

“Uhum, ‘course I do. You’re the best man there is. I can’t even describe it. It’s just… phew!” Ben made a big explosive motion with his hands. “You know? When I’m not with you, I’m in agony.” He whined and laughed into Hux’s shoulder. “Fuck Hux.”

“What?” Hux laughed quietly and started stroking Ben’s back.

“I always wanted to say that to someone, you know? I mean, that script was shit but… can I kiss you again?” He pulled away from Hux’s shoulder and took Hux’s cheeks into his palms. Hux hummed approvingly and so he pressed their lips together in a sloppy motion.

“Ben?” Hux whispered against his lips.

“Hmm?” Ben kissed him under his lower lip and smiled at the slight stinging of Hux’s stubble.

“Are you okay to drive?”

“Absolutely fucking no.” He laughed into the kiss and grabbed Hux by his ass, squeezing it.

“Okay. I’ll drive then. I had only two beers long ago enough for me to be sober, so…Get into the car.”

“Huxy don’t be like that, babe. I want to have you right here.”

“I won’t sleep with you in this filthy parking lot, Ben.”

“No?” Ben whined and pursed his lips, giving Hux his best puppy eyes.

“No. I’ll drive you home. Now.” He pushed Ben away from him gently, “Give me your keys.” Hux took them from his hand and pulled the door open, “Come here and mind your head. Like that, yes,” He helped Ben into the car and walked around the vehicle to get inside as well. “You will have to tell me where to, okay?”

“O-kay.” Ben smiled at him and squeezed Hux's thigh. “Can I jack you off while we’re on the way?”

“Absolutely not, Benjamin.” Hux sighed and started the engine. “Now could you please tell me which way should I drive? I’m afraid that this car will maybe fall apart before we arrive.”

 

“Ben?” There was a quiet snoring coming from Hux’s companion, “Ben, we’re here.” Hux gently shook Ben’s shoulder. “You have to wake up; I can’t possibly drag you all the way to that house.”

“Hmm?” Ben’s eyelashes fluttered as he was fighting the sleep. “We’re here?”

“Yes, seems like it.” Hux nodded and looked out of the window. From some curious reason, Ben had navigated him to his parents’ house and not to his new flat. “Are you sure that you wanted me to drive you here? Your parents’ house?”

That sent Ben’s mind reeling. “What??” He blinked, suddenly very awake. “Fuck, I didn’t mean to. Did they see us?”

Hux looked out of the window once again, “I don’t think so, no.”

“Good, step on it, we can still escape!”

“What?”

“I mean it, step on it!” Hux rolled his eyes and did as he was told. However, Ben’s car had a different plan. Not only that it didn’t start, it crackled and sputtered and then there was a loud bang and smoke started coming out from the engine.

“Christ! What was that?!” Hux yelped when he saw the dense smoke coming from under the hood.

“Fuck! Not now for fuck’s sake!”

“Ben! What the hell is happening? It’s not going to explode, is it?” Hux was shaking, grasping the steering wheel as if his life depended on it.

“No, no, it’s not. It does this thing once in a while, don’t worry. I’ll just have to look at it in the morning.”

“In the morning??” Hux blinked at him and unfastened his seatbelt. “How do you mean in the morning?”

“Well I mean, oh fuck…”

“What?” Ben nodded towards the house and when Hux turned his head, he could see that the lights were on. “Great.” Hux sighed and looked at his watch. “It’s two in the morning and we woke up your parents, amazing.”

The doors opened and Mrs Solo clothed in a pink dressing gown, fluffy pink slippers and a baseball bat in her hands emerged from the house. She was ferociously looking for the source of the gunshot and when she saw Ben’s beaten up looking car, she lowered her bat. “Benjamin Solo! What the hell is the meaning of this?! Do you know how you scared me?!”

“Shit, let me handle this.” Ben got out of the car, still a little bit tipsy. “Hello, momma!” He opened his arms as if to embrace her. “I’m sorry to wake you up, I didn’t know you were sleeping.”

“It’s two in the morning, Ben!”

“Yeah well, some people watch television long into the night…”

“Are you drunk?” She frowned a bit and pointed at him with her bat.

“Maybe?”

“Well at least you weren’t driving,” She sighed. “Come inside, you can sleep in your old room and your boyfriend can sleep on the couch, I will have none of your naughty stuff going under my roof when you come home unexpected.” Ben just stared at her, “What are you looking at? Come inside.” She turned around and started walking back home.

“But…”

“I have to go to work in the morning Ben,” Hux opened the door. “I can’t sleep here,” He shook his head a little bit too desperately. Not only that he had to wake up in four hours, he was hoping that he would spend the night alone with Ben in Ben's flat or alone in his own house. And not with Ben’s parent under the same roof.

“I’m speaking to both of you, I’m sure that if your cute British boyfriend needs to go to the university in the morning, your father can give him a lift in the morning.” Mrs Solo looked at them sternly. “I won’t say it twice young men.”

Hux was staring at her; she thought that he was a university student? Did she call him a young man? She was only six years older than him! Not that he minded, no. Plus, with her baseball bat, she looked quite dangerous. And so, Armitage who feared for his life and didn’t want to die beaten to death, got out of the car and sighed. “You owe me free ice cream for the rest of my life for this, Benjamin.” He growled and they both went inside.

 

When Ben and his mother disappeared into the back of the house, Hux remained standing in the hall. He didn’t hear what they were talking about but judging by her tone of voice, she was scolding him for being drunk and disturbing their sleep. Right. He rubbed his face and took out his phone, he could call a taxi, it would be probably better. Yes, it would be better for sure. Hux nodded to himself and went to the direction where was Ben’s old room.

“Mrs Solo?”

Ben’s mother turned around, she was standing in the doorframe and smiled at him. “Yes, sweetie?”

“Can I say goodbye to Ben? I will call a taxi, I have to get up at six and I don’t want to disturb you in the morning… or now.” Hux shook his head and offered her a little smile.

“Are you sure? I would help you set up the couch, you’re tall but you should sleep alright in there.” She smiled at him in return.

“No,” he shook his head. “It’s okay. But thank you, you’re too kind.”

“Alright then, sweetheart. But I’ll have my husband drive you home, you can’t take a taxi, it would cost you too much.”

“No, no no, no,” Hux shook his head again. “I’ll take an Uber, it’s okay.”

Ben’s mother sighed and nodded. “Alright, goodnight then,” she patted Hux’s cheek and went away. “Oh and please, don’t fall asleep tomorrow during class, education is important and I don’t want you to fail your studies because of my son’s drinking escapades.” She turned around for the last time and jogged up the stairs.

Hux nodded a little and entered Ben’s room. “So, this is your room?” He smiled and leaned against the doorframe. “Neat.” He nodded and looked around the room. There was a bed against a wall that was covered with movie posters, big table with a computer screen and a Lego Death star model. On the opposite wall from the bed, there was a wardrobe with posters on its door, music band posters this time.

“Yeah, it’s… yeah.” Ben was sitting on his bed, taking off his socks. “You’re going home?” Hux nodded. “You sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll wait here until my car arrives, okay?” Hux crossed the room and sat down on the chair by the table; he sent a text and showed his phone back into the pocket.  “You know, you still owe me some answers…” Hux smirked and looked at Ben who was now only in his boxers. “I have only one question though.”

“Only one?” Ben smirked, “Shoot.”

“Back in Alaska, you never answered what you would have changed if you had the chance. You owe me an answer.”

“You say that you have only one question and then you say this? I thought that teachers are smart,” Ben laughed a bit. “Okay, well… If I could change anything, I would change nothing, because everything that happened in my life led to this moment. And if everything bad that happened meant that one day I will have a chance to have the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, it was all worth it.” Ben got up from his bed and went to sit on the floor right in front of Hux, who looked like he was about to cry but was trying very hard not to. “But if I could do anything in the world, I would make a time machine and I would travel back in time so I could save you from that horrible heartbreak.” Ben smiled and put hands on Hux’s knees.

“You’re a sentimental drunk, Benjamin Solo.” Hux gave out a little sad laugh and caressed Ben’s hair. “Do you really like me this much?”

“Even more.” Ben smiled and leaned into Hux’s touch.

Hux laughed at that. “Oh god, Ben, stop it.” He shook his head and yawned. “I’m going to be miserable tomorrow at school, you know that? I bet that all the kids will take advantage of it and I will lose my reputation altogether.”

“Well if you get fired, you can always work as my personal assistant when I’m rich and famous.”

 

 

Hux opened the front door as quietly as he could and took off his shoes. “Home at last,” he mumbled to himself as he went upstairs to the second floor. He silently sneaked to Emilia’s door and peeked inside, a little smile on his face. However, his smile froze when he saw that the room was empty. “Em?” He opened the door and turned on the lights. She wasn’t there. Not only that the bed was empty, all her things which she brought with her when moving in with him as a temporary solution for his divorce mood were gone too. “Em?” His throat was getting tighter with each step he took towards her table where he saw a note lying.

“Oh god,” Hux took it from the table with trembling fingers and started reading.

 

_~~Dear dad,~~ _

_~~Dear asshole,~~ _

_Dad,_

_I am back at my dorm. If you two thought that I’m stupid enough not to see you two leaving together today, I am not. I saw you. I don’t hate you. And if he makes you happy then okay, but right now I can’t breathe the same air as you._

_I’m sorry._

_XX Em_

_PS Don’t kill yourself while I’m not there, I still love you._

 

Hux was staring at the paper in his hand, crumbling it with the sheer pressure of his fingers. Emilia saw them. He didn’t know why he thought that Ben’s parking was unnoticeable from the house but clearly it wasn’t unnoticeable from the first floor where Em had her room. How stupid was he? The only thing for which he wanted to sacrifice the thing he had with Ben was so he wouldn’t break Em’s heart and now it happened. He felt as if he was in some bad movie. To test his theory about her seeing much further than they thought, he went to look out of her window and saw that he was right. He could see at the very end of the street with no problem.

 

 

When he woke up the next morning, he was so tired that he seriously thought about not going to work today. His head hurt and his insides were tightening with the thought of Emilia being so angry at him that she left him here alone. Hux rubbed his sleepy eyes and sat up, setting his feet on the cold wooden floor and put his face into his palms, sighing. He didn’t have time to sit in his bed, so he got up and went to do something.

Hux knew that it was still too soon for Emilia to be awake and so he didn’t bother with calling, he sent her a text that he is sorry and that he would like to explain it to her but that he won’t stop seeing Ben, because he deserved to be happy and with Ben he was. It took him about ten minutes to compose the text but when he sent it, he felt a big stone falling off his heart.

He was eating his oatmeal and drinking his morning coffee when his phone started ringing. Hux looked at it absently and when he saw

Hux looked at it absently and when he saw an unknown number, he muted the ringing and turned it display down so he didn’t have to look at it. It stopped after few seconds. Hux managed to put five more spoons into his mouth when it started ringing again, he eyed the device with suspicion and sighed, “Fine.” It could be Ben calling him from his parents’ house or maybe Emilia was already awake and had her own battery dead. Hux took the phone and put it to his ear, “Hello?”

“Armitage? Hallo? Do you hear me?”

Hux blinked, were his ears deceiving him? “Maratelle?” He breathed out uncertainly. “How the hell did you get my number?!”

“That’s how you greet me? What happened to your manners?”

“I am dearly sorry, mother. Why are you calling me?” Hux rolled his eyes and sipped on his coffee. He didn’t speak with her for years and he hoped that it would stay that way. Why was she calling him now was beyond his current brain capacity. Did his father die or something? No, he wouldn't be that lucky. Especially not today after only three hours of sleep.

“Oh Armitage, why do you have to be so defensive? You’re always so insensitive when it comes to your family.”

“I wonder why,” Hux grumbled.

“You know your father and I will have a birthday soon,” Oh yes, so that was why. What did she want? A birthday postcard? “And since your father will be seventy and I have a big birthday coming too,” Maratelle was always reluctant when it came to speaking about her age. “We wanted to invite you, It will be a big celebration, a lot of people are coming here, a lot of important people. I am sure that they would surely find you interesting enough for you to get some decent job instead of that circus where you’re working.”

“You want me to come to Ireland?” Hux frowned, it was suspicious. Why would they invite him after all these years? “Why?”

“Armitage, I’ve just told you why. We want to see you, your father wants to see you, you’ve been gone long enough. And I am sure that being here would only do you good in your current position.”

“My current position?” His eyebrows nearly met his hairline.

“Yes. We know that you’re getting divorced, Armitage. I won’t lie to you, we’re happy that you’re getting rid of that ridiculous man, and we all know how bad your condition can go when you’re upset. Ireland would do you good. You can bring your daughter too if you want. We would love to meet her.”

“What?” Hux spat incredulously. “How could you possibly know about that??” He got up from the table so fast that the chair screeched against the floor and fell backwards. He started pacing across the kitchen in long strides, trying to get his breath under control.

“Your lawyer wrote your father’s financial manager because of your inheritance,” Maratelle said with a clipped tone and Hux could see her pursing her lips. “I don’t want you to answer me right away, Armitage. But please, let me know as soon as you can so we could arrange everything, okay?” Hux was staring at the fridge door. “Armitage? Are you having a panic attack? Don’t be silly, Armie, we’re your family and not something you have to fear. We love you.”

“I have to go.”

“Alright,” She sighed. “But let me know until tomorrow, okay?” She asked him with her overly sweet voice and Hux wanted to vomit. He didn’t answer her and finished the call. How could his fucking lawyer call someone from his father’s company? How could she do something like this behind his back?! He looked at his phone and dialled up that horrible woman whom he was paying.

As soon as she picked it up, he started screaming. “How dare you call my parents behind my back?! Who do you think you are?! You’re my lawyer; you’re supposed to do what I want you to do and not to set a fire under my feet!”

“Mr Hux, calm down please, there is no need to scream at me.”

“There is no need??! You know what? I don’t need you. I will find some normal and loyal lawyer who doesn’t flirt with my ex-husband at our meetings and who wouldn’t do something like this behind my back! Good day, you cow!”

He was fuming, he was shaking and most importantly of all, he was late for work.

 

Hux’s first class of the day was Maths with freshmen and by the end of the lesson, two of them were on the verge of tears and three got detention. However bad it was, it wasn’t his personal record, he broke his record during the fourth class when there were five people almost crying, two actually crying, four people got an F and five got detention. He was on a roll. He wasn’t this angry or frustrated in a long time.

“What the fuck is wrong with you??” Rey stormed into their shared office and glared at him, other days he would feel threatened but today was not one of them.

Hux looked at her with cold calmness and raised one eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me! What did you do to these kids? Half the school is talking about you!”

“I can assure you that all they say is true.”

“Okay, this is fucked up even for you, Hux.” She sat down on her chair and looked at him. “What happened?”

“That’s none of your business, I’m afraid.”

Rey frowned at him, “Hux, I told you that if you’ll let your personal problem interfere with your classes, I will not let it go. So stick that “it’s none of your business” shit into your precious Irish ass and listen to me. You will stop this right now or I’ll go to speak with Krennic and I can assure you, that you won’t like what I will have to say. Can’t you just take your chill pills or something? Did Ben do something that upset you this much so you had to start terrorizing the whole city like a ginger and moulted King Kong?”

“No, Ben did nothing wrong, no.”

“So what do you have stuck up in your ass Hux?” She crossed her arms.

“I said it once and I’ll say it again, it’s none of your business.” He shook his head and turned back to his table. Rey got up from the chair and crossed the space between them in two long steps so she could look at what he was doing. She was taken aback when she saw what he was doing, the last time she’s seen him doing this was when she started working here and it was quite off-putting.

“Are you taking out the grains of your strawberries, Hux?”

“Can you just leave me alone?” Hux grumbled and continued in his precise work with tweezers.

“You know what, you robot? You could use a time off.” Rey shook her head, grabbed her mobile phone and went out.

Hux sighed and nodded. “Maybe I could.”

 

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

„Come in!“

Hux was standing in the hall in front of Krennic’s office, digging nails into his palms and trying not to show a sign of nervousness. When he opened the door, he was met with a chilly air from within – air-conditioning was only functioning in this room it seemed. He politely closed the door behind himself and offered the principal a smile. “Good afternoon, I hope that I’m not disturbing you.”

“No, not at all.” Krennic shook his head and stopped writing on his laptop, putting his palms on the table and smiling. “What can I do for you, Armitage? Did something happen?”

Hux shook his head. “No, not at all.” He repeated after Krennic and took a seat on the other side of the table opposite from Krennic. “Although maybe yes, something happened.”

“Really?” Krennic blinked at him. “Something with your students? Are they causing you problems? Please tell me that they are not playing practical jokes on you again.”

“No, nothing like that. Nothing with my students, they are behaving accordingly, albeit their knowledge is rather dismal. It’s about my family, actually.” Hux nodded a little and smiled when Krennic laughed with relief.

“Phew. I was starting to get worried.” He shook his head, “Okay, so what’s the matter? Do you need some free days? Is someone from your family ill? They’re in Ireland, right?”

Hux nodded. “Yes, they are. My father is going to be seventy in a week and my stepmother has her birthday coming too. They want me to come to visit them since it’s-“

“Alright, no problem.” Krennic nodded.

“What?” Hux was taken aback; he didn’t think that it would go so well.

“Do you want a week or more? And don’t look so surprised, you’re my best teacher here. You deserve something.”

“A week should be enough, yes.” Hux nodded slowly.

“Amazing! Great, I’ll sign your classes to somebody else, when do you want to leave?”

“Well, the birthday party will be next Thursday, so I think that I would like to leave on Tuesday’s evening.”

“Alright.” Krennic gave him another smile. “Anything else you need? Maybe a plus one? I always wanted to see Ireland and I would love to get our off here for a week too.” The principal laughed and Hux, who didn’t know if he was joking or not, laughed too.

“No, no, I don’t need anything else. Thank you, Mr Krennic.”

“Enough with mister Krennic, how often must I tell you to call me Orson, Armitage.”

Hux just nodded and got up, mouthing a quite okay and thank you.

“Have a nice day, Armitage. And smile a little, it suits you more.”

Hux nodded, “Have a nice day, too, Orson.” He gave him a smile since now felt compelled to do so and exited the room, closing the door.

 

Even though his boss was joking about the plus one, it sparked an idea inside of Hux’s head. He originally didn’t even want to ask Ben to come with him, not since Maratelle asked him to bring Emilia too, but now he was playing with the idea more than before. Wouldn’t it be perfect? His father celebrating the fact that his deviant son was finally getting rid of his husband while he would bring a young man and introduced him as his boyfriend.

No, no. He couldn’t do this, it would hurt Emilia too much.

Maybe he would do it if she said that she wouldn’t come with him. It was bad enough that he said that he would come; he didn’t want to face them alone.

Or he could just bring Phasma along.

Yes, that would be probably better.

 

“Em! There’s some creepy guy at the door saying he wants to talk to you!”

“What?!” Came an answer from her room and not long after Emilia emerged from around the corner to their shared living room and looked to the main door. Her smile faltered visibly when she noticed her father standing in the hall and her roommate looking at her with an apologetic smile. “Ah, that creepy guy. I don’t want to talk to him,” She shook her head, turned on her heel and started walking away.

“Emilia wait, please.” Hux pleaded, wanting to get inside of their place but Emilia’s roommate stopped him in the door with a stern look.

“She doesn’t want to talk to you, get out of here.”

“Emilia!” Hux tried once more, “I just want to talk to you about it, you have to hear me out.”

“Oh, I have to?” Em turned back sharply, “I don’t have to do a shit, you know?!” She frowned.

“Em, please.” Hux looked at her pleadingly. “You said you don’t hate me for it, you broke up with him, it’s-“

“I will let you in under one condition,” She folded her arms across her chest. “Did you sleep with him before I broke up with him or did you waited as a gentleman after I finished it? Were you with him that night when he wasn’t picking up my calls?”

Hux didn’t say anything about the fact that these were two questions since he wasn’t in a position to say anything. “He was with me, yes.” Hux nodded and sighed when Emilia gasped. “But… We didn’t… Em, I wouldn’t even touch him if I knew that you two were still together.”

“You could at least wait a bit, you know?? And not behave like a total asshole! You could have told me, dad!”

“I suppose that I could but I… I didn’t want to hurt you, Em. I still don’t. But Ben is…”

“I should have known,” Emilia sighed and sat down on the couch, Hux was still standing between the doorframe. “He was always asking about you after we got back from Alaska. He even wanted to see my baby photos and was really disappointed when you weren’t there. I showed him some of your photo albums; he was so smitten by them. Especially with these from your university days, you know? When you had an earing and dressed all in black and looked like a… like some Goth maniac. How did I not see it?” She rubbed her eyes and sighed, looking at him. “Come here, dad.” She smiled sadly and Hux went, he sat down next to her and waited. “Is he at least nice to you?” She looked at him hopefully and Hux nodded.

“Yes, he is very…thoughtful,” He smiled a bit, still not sure what was a safe game.

“Thoughtful?” Emilia snorted and shook her head. “Okay, if you say so. Why did you come here, dad? Did you really want to talk about him?”

Armitage shook his head, “No. Maratelle, I mean, your grandmother called me. She and my father are going to have a birthday and they invited me to come.”

“Did they?” Emilia blinked in surprise. “I thought that you are not in contact.”

“We are not but my lawyer sort of called my father’s financial manager and she gave him my number and he gave it to my mother. They know that I’m in the middle of a divorce, that’s why they invited me, they wouldn’t do it were I still with Poe.”

“And you said yes?”

Hux nodded. “Yes, I called her back yesterday and told her that I will come. I got a week off in school. The thing is that they want to see you too.”

“They do?” Emilia blinked, “But I…I have exams coming up the next week,” Her shoulders sank as she sighed, “Bummer, I would really love to meet them, you know?”

“I’m going to be here for a whole week; you could come on Friday and stay until Monday but only if you really want to, of course.”

Emilia was thinking for a moment and then nodded, “I think that would do,” She smiled at him and hugged him. “I am sorry that I yelled at you, you’re right, you deserve to be happy.” She mumbled into his shoulder. “I love you, dad.” She pulled away from him and kissed him on his cheek, “I love you more than I love mum,” She pursed her lips and kissed him again, this time on his mouth. Hux just laughed and shook his head. “And if you’re happy with that oaf, then okay… I’m happy for you.”

“Really?” Hux looked at her uncertainly.

“Of course! You’re my favourite person ever!”

This time it was Hux who hugged her.

 

“You really want me to believe that you’re going to visit your parents for a whole week just because they asked you nicely?” Phasma was sitting in Hux’s living room, sipping from her glass of wine, as was her tradition.

“No but I… I got a lot worse, I can feel it Phas, I’m all jittery and I hate it… I haven’t been this bad since…”

“I know I know, don’t talk about it,” She waved her hand. “And you think that going back home would help you with this? You think that it will calm you down?”

“I don’t know.” Hux shook his head. “But I’m willing to try it.”

“And you’re going there all alone? You know how your father makes you feel, Tige. That’s like going into a lion’s nest and hoping that he will not eat you.”

“Emilia will come with me; she will flight there on Friday.”

“That’s two and half days alone with your father. Why don’t you tell Ben to come?”

“Because of Emilia, of course.” Hux groaned and scratched on his wrist with his nails.

“Ah, right, good point.” She nodded and circled the wine in the glass. “Okay, so… Shall I come with you and pretend that I’m your new sweetheart?” Phasma snorted.

“I don’t think they would believe this. But if you really want to, I wouldn’t be against it.” Hux sighed.

“You know that I love you, I’ll go if you want me to. And I’ll punch your papa in his face if he says something against you, I swear by the old gods and the new.”

“Oh for Christ’s sake, stop quoting Game of Thrones, it’s enough that you look like that giant blond woman.” Hux shook his head and poured himself a glass too.

“I don’t, I’m prettier,” Phasma smirked.

“Of course you are,” Hux raised his glass and started drinking.

They fell into a pleasant silence, just the two of them sipping their wine and watching television. Not long after Hux scooted next to Phasma on the couch and lay his head on her shoulder. She smiled at him and kissed his forehead, gently patting his hair. He was trying not to think about the last time he sat like this with Poe, on this very couch, nuzzled under a blanket, eating Cheetos. Hux was usually grading his tests, reading a book or just watching the news while Poe was writing something on his computer or tablet. Hux closed his eyes and sighed.

He wanted to forbid himself to think about him.

 

_“If you’re going to keep reading in this shitty light, you’re going to need to start wearing glasses soon.”_

_“It’s not a shitty light, Poe. It’s completely normal, and I can see very well, thank you.”_

_“You don’t need to thank me, Buttercup. I just don’t want you to ruin your pretty eyes.”_

_Hux sighed and looked at his husband. “You want to tell me that looking into a book is worse than constantly staring at a computer screen?”_

_“I am working, Armitage.”_

_“You’re always working.”_

_“Yes, so we could afford this house and everything.”_

_“Well, I don’t need this house and everything, Poe. I need my husband. And I would rather live with you in a small house in a village than with you constantly working yourself to eyes damage.”_

_Poe rolled his (undamaged) eyes. “Yes, I know. You would gladly live in your little cottage in a little village with your garden and baking. If you wanted all this, you could stay in your fucking fairyland.”_

_Hux froze and looked at him with a disbelieving expression. “What?”_

_“You heard me, your highness.”_

_“What?”_

_“You’re horrible you know that? You’re acting as if you’re a spouse of the year but you’re always working too or you’re doing other things, like reading stupid books or counting apples in the kitchen or… or scrambling said kitchen clean because god forbid if there is a crumb on the floor!”_

_“Why are you like this, Poe? Why are you suddenly so riled up?”_

_“Me? I am like this? You’re the one who’s crazy here!”_

“Earth to Hux!” Armitage jerked when he felt a hand on his thigh, shaking him a little. He blinked slowly out of his reverie and looked over at Phasma who was demanding his attention. “Where have you been, honey? I’ve been talking to you for the last five minutes.”

“I’m sorry,” Hux shook his head and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, I was just thinking.”

“Well stop zoning out and bring me more wine, the bottle is almost empty.”

Hux yawned and nodded, scrambling out of the couch. When he was in the half of the way to the wine cabinet, he heard Phasma get up too behind his back. “Why you couldn’t get it yourself when you’re up too?” He grumbled and then he heard her reason, somebody was knocking. “Will you at least get the door?”

“That was my point, Ginger Spice.” Gwen winked at him and went to the hall.

 

Phasma looked into the peephole first to see if it was somebody she would like to let inside or if it was just some neighbour who would like to ask if Hux had a flour. However, when she saw a familiar face, she smirked to himself and opened. “Well hello there handsome, I wasn’t aware that Huxy ordered us a stripper.”

Ben just raised his hand in an awkward hello and smiled uncertainly. “Hey. Can I come in? Or do you two have some séance for alcoholics? Not that Hux would be an alcoholic; I was just under the impression that you are their leader with all the wine you’re bathing in…”

Phasma’s smirk got wider as she punched him in his chest. “I like you, you little shit. Give me a moment, I’ll ask him.” She cleared her throat and turned back into the house. “Hux! Parents of your new boy toy lover are here, should I send them in or do you need time to hide that massive pink dildo you were just showing me?!”

“ _WHAT?!_ ” There was a loud crash from the living room followed by curses in fluent Gaelic and furious stomping leading to the hall door, not long after Hux’s head appeared in the doorway. He was completely red in his face, firstly from embarrassment and then from fury upon seeing Ben and giggling Phasma. “You absolute fuckwit! You will clean that wine from the floor yourself, I’m not touching it, you idiot!” Then his eyes settled on gaping Ben and went all soft, “Benjamin, I am so sorry. Come inside, don’t mind that horrible woman.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Ben nodded a little and went inside, kicking off his shoes in a disarray. “Wow Hux, I’ve never seen you so angry… it was kinda hot.” Ben smirked and pulled him closer, unashamedly kissing him.

“You really must like that guy if you let him kick off his shoes like this, Armitage,” Phasma smirked as she closed the door and nudged Ben’s shoes together and to the wall since she was hundred percent sure that Hux would go and straighten them himself when nobody was looking.

“Shut up and go clean the ruined wine bottle,” Hux growled and kept glaring at her all the way until she went to the living room and he couldn’t see her. Ben kissed him under his ear since he had his head turned to one side, demanding attention. “What are you doing here, Ben?” Hux turned back and looked at him.

“Nothing, I just wanted to see you.” Ben smiled and put Hux’s hair behind his ears. “It’s getting longer again, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I should probably cut it off again or Phasma’s going to kick my ass _if I don’t kill her first!”_  He called towards the living room and Phasma laughed.

“No, no… I like it. It’s hot.”

“How can hair length be hot, Ben?”

“It’s on you, so it can,” Ben smirked and pulled him closer again, clumsily grabbing him by his bottom. “God, how I missed you,” He was nosing Hux’s hair, “I was kinda hoping that you would be home alone, you know?” He kissed him on the forehead and ran his teeth across it in a biting attempt.

“I can throw her out if you want me to,” Hux smiled a little, enjoying Ben’s childlike eagerness.

“No, don’t do that. I can ravish you with her in the room; I don’t have a problem with it.” Ben smiled and his stomach growled.

“You’re hungry?” Hux raised his eyebrows. “That’s why you came here, isn’t it? So I would feed you?”

Ben laughed a little and let go of him. “Well, not entirely but if you have some of that delicious food of yours, I wouldn’t be against the idea of eating something.”

Hux rolled his eyes and patted Ben’s cheek in a motherly manner. “Come, child, I shall feed you something before you perish.” He took Ben’s hand and led him to the kitchen, “Sit,” He ordered him and went to open the fridge. “So, what would you like? I have some pasta, which I originally wanted to eat tomorrow for lunch but I guess that I can cook myself something else, or… I could roast you some chicken breasts if you want.”

“And I suppose that the chicken was your Sunday lunch?” Ben sat down at the table and smirked.

“You could say that, yes.”

“Okay, I’ll take the chicken and I’ll take you out for lunch on Sunday.”

Hux laughed a little, “Okay, sounds fair.” He grabbed the plastic punnet with chicken. “Do you want chips with it?”

“Chips? Oh… _Oh_!” Ben laughed a little, “Chips, right, yes, if you have some.”

Hux nodded and pulled them from the freezer. “Oh god, you know how to spoil a guy, don’t you?” Phasma came into the kitchen with some old newspaper full of glass from the broken bottle and red napkins from the wine. “You told me that you don’t have any food except for the garden salad you made!”

“Oh god, you know how to spoil a guy, don’t you?” Phasma came into the kitchen with some old newspaper full of glass from the broken bottle and red napkins from the wine. “You told me that you don’t have any food except for the garden salad you made!”

Ben smirked at her. “Well, clearly you didn’t bargain enough.”

“Oh? What did you offer him?” Phasma tossed the remnants into the bin and went to wash her hands.

“I am taking him for a lunch on Sunday, my mum invited us, actually.” Ben nodded and Hux froze while putting the baking tray with chips into the oven.

“What?” Hux turned around when he closed the oven door. “You said that you’re taking me out and not that your parents-“

“I would elaborate on it if she didn’t interrupt me,” Ben waved his hand. “You said it yourself that I should visit them often and since you ran away when you dropped me there when we were out drinking, she said that she felt horrible for you having to sleep in your own place because you are probably afraid of her and that she wants to meet you properly and not only for five minutes so she could get to know you better.” He hurled out in one breath.

“And you told her yes?”

“Well yeah, I did. She is totally smitten by you, Huxy.”

“But I can’t-“

“Armitage,” Phasma shot him a stern look, “stop being so hypocritical. Look at this lovely boy over here who wants you to meet his parents because he clearly likes you and he is serious about your relationship. Isn’t this what you wanted? Someone who would appreciate you? Someone who would like nothing more than shout out in the void “Look! This is my boyfriend! And I love him even though he is crazy in the head!”?”

Hux looked at her with jaw tensed, he was sure that she was mocking him but Ben didn’t seem to notice it and was nodding furiously. “Yes, exactly!” Ben got up from the chair and practically ran over to Hux, he grabbed his hands and started kissing his knuckles. “She’s right, pumpkin. It will be just one lunch and then we don’t have to meet them for like, I don’t know… Four years,” he nodded.

“Four years?”

“Yes, I’m planning on proposing to you after maybe three years so I wouldn’t seem to eager and we should marry in a year, so we will have to meet them at the reception, you know?” Ben smirked.

Phasma started laughing. “You see? This guy is a treasure, keep him!”

Hux rolled his eyes and sighed. “Alright, I’ll go.” He said in a melodramatic way and Ben beamed.


	19. Chapter 19

It was almost half past eleven, Ben was already at his parents’ house, lounging in the living room on a couch and watching television with his legs on the table. Hux should be here any minute and Ben’s mum was slowly losing it. Not only that her husband was god’s know where but her son was clearly refusing to help her, she would tell him to get these legs down from the table and to help her but she gave up this fight long ago. However, her patience was running low and it was Ben’s new boyfriend who was coming over so he should help her at least a little bit.

“Ben!” She stomped into the living room and glared at him. “Would you please get up and help me set the table?”

Ben rolled his eyes and looked at her, “Why? You know I’m useless in these things.” He sighed melodramatically.

“No, you are useless when you’re not helping me. Get up and be useful or I’ll embarrass you in front of him so much that he will dump you.”

“What? No!” Ben got up from the couch, “I’ll help you, just don’t…”

“Don’t what?” She smirked.

“Anything. Simply don’t.” Ben waved his hand in the air and went to the dining room to prepare the table. His mum was probably right, it was his boyfriend after all. His boyfriend. Hux was his boyfriend. Wasn’t he?

“I doubt that you’re smiling because of the new plates I bought.”

Ben turned and shrugged, a wide grin still on his face. “He’s my boyfriend.” He told her as if it was a one million dollars idea. “He is my boyfriend and I’m introducing him to my parents!”

Ben has never been the brightest kid but this seemed slow even for him, “Oh Benny,” She walked over to him and hugged him from behind. “Is there anything I should know about him? So I wouldn’t make him uncomfortable, I don’t want him to run away again,” She smiled and pulled away.

“I don’t think so,” Ben shook his head, “Just… I don’t know. He said something about his dad being an ass so probably don’t mention his family and it should be okay…”

 

The doorbell rang.

 

“I’ll get it!” Ben laughed a little and went to the door, he straightened his t-shirt and covered his ears with hair. “Okay Ben, you look good, you look hot, just open that door and face him like a man.” He whispered to himself and opened the door. He blinked once, twice, and… “What the fuck do you want?”

There was a strange looking guy staring back at him with a nervous smile. “Hello! Do you want to talk about our maker and saviour-“ Ben slammed the door back into his face and turned on his heel. Then the knocking came again and Ben ripped the door open with such a force that it almost fell out of its hinges.

“Get the fuck- Oh Hux, crap, I mean, hi.” Ben went all red from embarrassment as he saw Hux staring at him with wide eyes and shocked expression. “I didn’t want to, I thought you were…”

“That guy?” Hux pointed to their neighbours’ house. “Yeah, I saw him leaving just when I stopped the car in front of the house and I didn’t manage to catch you before you closed the door.” Ben was only nodding, smiling uncertainly. “Are you even listening to me, Ben?”

Ben shook his head. “What? I don’t know. Sorry, what did you say?”

Hux crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow.

“It’s just that… Look at you. You look so good, can I kiss you?” Ben didn’t wait for an answer, he took Hux by his chin, and pulled him into a kiss. “Come, babe,” He smiled and took him by his hands. “You don’t have to take off your shoes, it’s okay.” Ben waved his hands and went further into the house. “Come, the lunch is not ready yet but it will be ready on noon as you like it and-“

“Ben? Was it your lovely boyfriend?” Mrs Solo came into the hall and smiled when she saw Hux standing there with her son. “It _was_ your lovely boyfriend!” She smiled even brighter. “Hello, Armitage. You didn’t have to dress up so much, it’s just a lunch. And we’re normal people, not the Queen of England.”

Hux’s lip corners lifted in an uncertain way. He tried to look as young as possible, this was ridiculous he was aware of it but what could he do? He ditched the hair gel so his hair was falling into his eyes a bit, he was clean shaved and dressed in a black sweater and jeans. Phasma said that he looked younger and he hoped that she didn’t say it just to flatter him. On the other hand, maybe he shouldn’t lie to them, maybe it would be better to just…tell them. “Well I…Just threw something on,” He smiled at her and shook her hand.

“I’m really happy that you could come, both of you,” She looked pointedly at Ben who rolled his eyes. “Well, I’ll leave you to it; the lunch will be ready in twenty minutes.” She winked at them and left for the kitchen.

Ben breathed out in relief that she didn’t say anything else and grabbed Hux’s hand, “Come,” He nodded towards his old room and dragged Hux behind him. When they were inside, he closed the door and rubbed his face with his palms. Hux watched Ben sit down on his bed and stayed standing, unconsciously lining Ben’s pencils and other things on the desk into a neat line. He was chewing on his lower lip, mentally swearing how someone could have markers from more than one brand and all in the same colour. “What are you doing there, babe?” Ben was watching with him with amusement and fascination. “You don’t have to clean my table; I don’t even live here anymore. So I’m not gonna use it anyway.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Hux muttered and shuddered with the thought of leaving it only mid-done.

“You don’t have to do it, Hux.” Ben got up from the bed. “Look,” He grabbed all the pencils and threw them into the first drawer. “All clean.” Hux visibly tensed and looked at him with utter disbelief.

“Did you just…”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” Ben nuzzled his nose into Hux’s hair and smiled. “You really like organizing things, don’t you?” He murmured. “It’s cute.”

“Is it?” Hux sighed and leaned into Ben. “Poe didn’t think so; he thought that I am crazy…”

“Who isn’t at least a little bit crazy?” Ben grabbed Hux by his ass, hauled him up on the table and stood between his legs. “I love crazy.” He smiled and started caressing Hux’s thighs. “I love crazy more than you can possibly imagine.”

Hux smiled a little and put hands on Ben’s shoulders. “You do? Well, then we have one problem less to worry about…”

“And what other problems we have left?”

“For example, what have you told your parents about me?” Hux started drawing little circles with his thumbs against Ben’s t-shirt, massaging him.

“Well, nothing,” Ben shrugged.

“Nothing?”

Ben nodded. “My mum already knows your name and my father didn’t ask, he’s not even here now, he said that he’ll be back on time but he does these kinds of things so… maybe you won’t even see him. I didn’t tell them shit since I thought that you would like to introduce yourself by yourself.” He blinked and mentally repeated the sentence in his head because he had a feeling that he used too many yourselves.

“Okay.” Hux nodded and went silent for a moment. “And what would your parents think about you dating almost twenty years older man?”

Ben sighed. “I don’t know Hux, I didn’t ask them. They don’t give a shit who I was dating in the past so I don’t see why they should give a shit about it now.”

“Lucky you.” Hux snorted.

 

“Boys! The lunch is ready!”

“That would be us.” Ben pulled away from Hux’s lips and ruffled his hair a little. “Come, you boy. Our lunch is ready.”

When they entered the dining room, Ben’s mother was just putting the roasting pan into the middle of the table. “Sit wherever you like, Armitage.” She smiled at him and Hux obeyed, sitting down next to Ben. His eyes flickered towards the clock on the wall. Mrs Solo put his portion in front of him and started putting on Ben’s.

“Your husband will not be here?” Hux looked at her and then towards his plate. “It looks delicious, thank you.” He smiled.

“He should be here any minute, are you eager to meet him?” She smirked. “Well, that makes you the first.” She took her own plate and sat down opposite from them. “Enjoy your meals, kids.”

 

They hardly started eating when the front door opened and they could hear steps leading straight to the dining room. “Hello, hotshots,” Ben’s father entered the room. “Sorry I’m late; I needed to pick up something in the town.” Hux looked up from the table and blinked when he saw Ben’s father. He could see where Ben got his looks. “I didn’t know we had a guest for lunch,” Ben’s father smirked and sat down on his chair. “I’m kidding; my precious wife wouldn’t shut up about it.” He laughed. “Good work, Ben,” He then looked towards his son, “He looks very good.”

“And he’s sitting right in front of you, Han, behave.” His wife stabbed him with a fork and continued in eating.

“Ouch, woman! Do you want to kill me?”

“Almost always,” She smirked at him again.

Ben sighed next to Hux and put a hand on his knee, he cleared his throat. “Okay dad, now that you’re here… This is Armitage, he’s my boyfriend so please act normal…or rather not normal, just please act like normal parents.”

Han smirked and looked at Hux with mischief in his eyes, “Nice to meet you, Armitage. I’m sorry I was late, Leia here told me that you’re British so I went to town to buy you some of your British beer,” He winked and Ben gaped at him. “Are you enjoying the chicken? My wife does the best chicken in the county; it’s the only thing she knows how to cook though.”

Hux smiled a little, completely uncertain how to act. “That’s really nice of you, thank you. I’m Irish but thank you.” He nodded. “And the chicken is very good, it’s delicious.” He smiled at Ben’s mum and put a potato into his mouth.

“Irish?” Han raised his eyebrows. “Damnit, well… Beer is beer,” he laughed a little and looked at Ben again, “Will you tell us how did you two meet, kid? He doesn’t look like the kind of person who would make friends with the likes of you.”

“Let them eat, for God’s sake or it will get cold. We can talk later.”

Hux silently wished that he would choke on his food.

 

Unfortunately for him, he hadn’t choked on it.

 

“So, honey,” Ben’s mother looked at him and Hux wondered what was with her rather familiar given name. “What are you studying?” They were sitting in the living room now, there was an apple pie on the table and cups of coffee. Ben’s father looked like he would like to be anywhere else even more than Hux.

Hux swallowed, he looked at Ben if it was okay to tell them the truth or not but Ben seemed as if he wasn’t listening to the conversation at all since he was writing something on his phone. “I’m not studying anymore,” Hux shook his head and smiled at her.

“You’re not? But I thought…”

Hux shook his head. “No, I’m not. I’m working.”

“Curious, you seem like the kind of guy who would go for a doctorate.” She smiled. Could she make it a little bit harder for him? Apparently not. Yes, he would love to have a PhD but he didn’t finish it since he moved in with Poe.

“No, I don’t, I moved to the States so I couldn’t finish it.”

“That’s a pity,” She cooed and sipped her coffee.

“Yeah,” Hux nodded. “I have a master's in pedagogy, for mathematics and history. And a master’s in mechanical engineering.”

“You do?” Ben looked him with surprise.

“Yes, I studied two majors simultaneously in Dublin.” When I still had the chance and my father’s money was left unsaid.

“You didn’t know?” Mrs Solo looked at her son with raised eyebrows and Ben shook his head. She only rolled her eyes and looked back at Hux. “That’s impressive, you must be pretty smart. So what do you then? If you’re not studying.”

“I’m a teacher.” Hux smiled tightly and Mr Solo snorted. Hux looked at him and when he didn’t say anything, Hux continued, “I’m a high school teacher.”

“Really? That must be pretty exhausting. But you look like you’re able to get the kids into the line.” Ben’s mum laughed a little and winked at him. “You know what? My niece is a teacher too! She’s just out of the school so they probably don’t let her do much but she’s teaching the PE and music. She’s quite happy there, I would say. She doesn’t talk bad about the children, no… But she has that one colleague that’s with her in the office, when she started working there she was absolutely desperate because of him. She claims that he’s a pain in the ass, that he has a raging OCD and is always bossing her around.” Mrs Solo laughed again and sighed. “I hope that you don’t have anyone like that in your school…”

“Mum!” Ben hissed.

Hux smiled nervously and set down his cup. “I’m sorry, can you excuse me for a minute?” He got up from the couch and with swift steps disappeared into the hall.

“Did I say something?” Ben’s mother looked after Hux with a confusion.

“He’s Rey’s OCD colleague,” Ben growled at her and went after Hux.

 

When Hux entered the hall, he realized that he didn’t know where the toilet was and so he just went out of the back of the house and sat down on an unstable-looking chair. He knew that Rey talked about him with Ben, that much was obvious, but that she talked about him with other people… Yes, people talked and gossiped and she couldn’t know that one day he will be with her cousin and they were her family but still… He felt betrayed.

Hux heard the sliding door open behind him and soon there were two hands on his shoulders. “Are you okay?” Ben walked around him and squatted down in front of Hux. “I swear she didn’t know…”

“That’s okay.” Hux smiled a little. “She couldn’t know, I’m not angry with her, don’t worry.”

“But I am. She shouldn’t talk about things she knows nothing about. You don’t have a raging OCD; you’re just a little bit more organized than the majority of people.” Ben took Hux’s hands into his own and kissed his knuckles.

“Nicely put.” Hux sighed a little and looked at the sky where he saw a big white line from a plane, which was flying somewhere where parents didn’t talk about his quirks.

Ben looked where Hux was looking and smiled. “Thinking about flying away?”

Hux absently nodded, “Yes.” He sighed. “Actually yes, I am.”

“What?” Ben laughed and shook his head. “Did my parents drove you away that fast?”

“No, it’s not your parents, Ben. They are not that bad. It’s my parents.”

“Your parents?” Ben blinked.

“Yes. I’m going to Ireland for a week. I’m leaving on Tuesday.” Hux looked back at him.

“You’re leaving on Tuesday for a week to Ireland and you didn’t tell me? That’s like… that’s in two days! When had you wanted to tell me?” Ben frowned.

“Today, of course. They have birthdays so they want me to come… I would gladly take you with me but-“

“I’ll go.” Ben nodded eagerly.

“-Emilia is coming and I don’t want to upset her.”

“Oh.” Ben chewed on his lower lip. “Well shit.” He laughed, “But you’ll phone me, right? And send me embarrassing photos of your relatives so we could gossip about them and you could tell me all these horribly embarrassing stories about them.” He smirked.

“That sounds like a plan.” Hux smiled at him and kissed him the forehead. “We should come inside.”

“You sure? We could…We could jump over the fence and run away.”

Hux giggled a bit and shook his head. “Come, you rascal.”

 

When they got back from the outside, Ben’s parents were watching them both with mixed expressions. Mr Solo looked at them only for a second and then got overly interested in a hole in his t-shirt. Mrs Solo, on the other hand, started apologizing for her words and telling Hux that she didn’t know he worked with Rey and that she finds him completely normal. Hux just smiled at her, nodded with saying that it’s okay, and started drinking his coffee.

“So Hux,” Mr Solo spoke up and they all looked at him since he didn’t say anything for a long time. “You still didn’t tell us how you ended up with Ben.”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Can’t you just let it go, dad? We met, I thought to myself ‘wow, that’s the most gorgeous human being I’ve ever seen’ and started pursuing him like a crazed person and he succumbed and we’re together, end of story.”

Ben’s mother laughed a little. “Was it really like this?” She looked at Hux who nodded a little.

“More or less.” Hux laughed too and Ben rubbed his thigh. “Ben can be very persuasive when he wants to.”

“That’s true.” Ben nodded with a smirk.

“I see,” Han nodded. “Well, even though I can’t see how some posh guy from Ireland can end up with our son, I guess that your friends at the pub must take you for their hero. I remember when Jack from work was dating a younger girl; it does wonders to one’s confidence, doesn’t it?”

Hux opened his mouth and closed it; he didn’t know what to say to that, he really didn’t. “I can assure you that it’s not-“

“Han, I’m sure that this is not the case. Armitage can’t be that much older than Ben, right?” Ben’s mother looked at him and smiled. “How old are you?”

“Forty-four,” Hux sighed a little and rubbed his wrist, he was shaking inside.

“What?” Came a surprised question from Mrs Solo. “You’re…No.” She shook her head. “No.” Her husband snorted and got up from the couch.

“I can assure you, Mrs Solo that yes, I am.”

“Well…In this case, you have to tell me which moisturizer you use because you look amazing.” She said with astonishment and Hux only stared at her. He expected them to banish him from their house or to scream at him for being a creep and she asks him about a moisturizer? “Don’t look at me like this and tell me, I’m serious.”

“I…I don’t know?”

She shook her head. “DNA jackpot than. Well, since we’re almost the same age I guess that you can call me Leia.” She smirked at him and looked at her son. “If you hurt him, Ben, I’m going to kick your ass.”

Ben blinked and gaped at her. “What? Aren’t you supposed to be defending  _me?_ I am your son!”

“Exactly, you are my son and hence I know what you’re capable of. More coffee?” She smiled at Hux and he just nodded.


	20. Chapter 20

“You promise that you will take me to work in the morning?” 

They were standing in front of the door that led to Ben's flat. The hall was looking like from some sketchy horror movie and the neighbourhood was more New York alley than anything but if Ben lived here, Hux would cope. Earlier, Ben took Hux back to his house to grab things for Monday, which meant his briefcase and a bag with clean clothes and his toothbrush and promised him that he would take him to the school and that he will wake up with him in the morning. All this for Hux coming to Ben’s flat with him and let him ravish his body in every way possible. 

“Of course, I said so already, didn’t I?” Ben fished his keys out of his pocket and smiled triumphantly when he found the right one.

“Yes but…”

Ben turned around. “Hey, I know that you’re still psyched out about my mum absolutely fucking loving you and hanging on every little word you said but if you won’t stop fidgeting right fucking now, I swear that I will kick you.”

“You wouldn’t do that.” Hux snorted. Ben lifted his foot and nudged Hux’s shin with it. Hux gasped. “Good lord, you brute!”

Ben smirked and turned around back to his door, which he opened. “Come inside my humble flat!” He motioned for Hux to come inside; he waited for him to enter and closed the door behind them. Ben turned on the lights and Armitage blinked into his flat. When Emilia said that Ben’s flat was a shit hole, she wasn’t exactly lying. Ben’s flat was consisting of one little living room with adjoined kitchen counter and beaten up fridge and two doors, which probably let to the bathroom and Ben’s bedroom. It was a mess, pizza and take-out boxes on the floor and table; dirty clothes on the floor and the couch; various things absolutely everywhere. Hux felt his skin crawl, he shuddered and had to take a deep breath to calm himself and not run away. “So? What do you say? I know that it’s small and it’s dirty but… We could, you know?”

Hux looked at him.

“We could clean it together?”

Hux blew out a big huff of air and nodded. “Sure, because I certainly won’t touch that couch in this state.”

Ben grinned and nodded. “Can I have you on the couch then?”

“Only if we fumigate this whole flat beforehand,” Hux said with utmost seriousness and Ben started laughing – Hux wasn’t joking.

 

While in the town centre the enamoured pair cleaned a shit hole flat, one married pair was struggling with their sleep.

 

Mr Solo woke up to a bright light coming from next to him; he groaned and looked at the alarm clock. “For God’s sake, it’s midnight, what are you doing on that computer?” He groaned and shielded his eyes with his arm.

“I’m searching.” His wife murmured, absolutely absorbed with whatever she was doing.

“Please tell me that you’re not doing it again.” Han groaned.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Han sighed and pulled the comforter over his head. She knew what he was talking about. She was googling him, she was googling Armitage Brendol Hux, born in Dublin, 8th March 1973. Ben’s mother did this every time Ben found someone, she played nice and everything when talking to them but afterwards, she always went and tried to find some dirt on them. Ben was her only child and she wanted him to be safe. Armitage Hux may seem like a decent man but which normal man dates boys twenty years younger than him? There had to be something wrong with him. There just had to be.

Leia pursed her lips and shut the computer off. She will have to talk to Rey in the morning.

 

Ben didn’t think that watching Hux cleaning his flat would be so… endearing. They weren’t talking because Hux was absolutely absorbed in what he was doing and Ben’s attempts to converse failed. He hated cleaning up but it seemed that his lover wasn’t joking when he said that he won’t let Ben touch him before it is clean in there.

Ben yawned and rubbed his eyes. “Babe? Do we really have to clean my flat when it’s so late?” They were doing it for three hours now and even though Hux was absolutely fuckable when he was bending over to pick up Ben’s stuff from the floor, Ben was getting more and more tired.

Hux looked at his watch and blinked in shock. “Oh lord, how the time flies when you’re having fun.”

“Yeah fun,” Ben snorted and shook his head. He looked around the room and pursed his lips in disdain, the living room was clean. It was cleaner than when he bought the flat. He really didn’t get what was still dirty in there. “Armitage, I’m serious. Can we go fucking already?” He stretched his back and yawned again.

Hux looked at him and sighed. “How romantic of you, Benjamin.” He shook his head.

“Well I’m sorry, Mr Clean but we have to get up in six and half hours and we’re cleaning my flat!”

Hux sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Ben.” He was doing it again. He was really bad at this. “I’m so sorry,” Hux went to Ben and took his hands into his own, kissing him on his knuckles. “I promise that I will try to limit this…this,” He let Ben’s hand go and waved around him. “I’m just… My father…” Hux sighed and shook his head, “Let’s not talk about my father when we’re about to do something completely different…” He smiled and nuzzled his nose against Ben’s cheek.

“Oh yes, you’re right. Let’s not.” Ben smiled widely and grabbed Hux by his butt, massaging it.

“Uhum,” Hux murmured and bit Ben’s earlobe. “So…what did you want to do with me on that horrendous couch of yours?”

Ben smirked. “I think I’ll rather show you. Okay?”

“Okay.” Hux smiled and pressed his lips against Ben’s.

 

Hux woke up to silent snoring into his ear and his alarm clock ringing. He blindly searched for his phone, which was lying somewhere on the table, and turned the horrid sound off. “Ben?” Hux mumbled and leaned into the warmth that was surrounding his back. Ben was hugging him from behind, each of them lying on their side, they didn’t move an inch during the night and Hux’s back was protesting from the lack of movement. “Ben, wake up.” He said a little bit louder this time and patted Ben’s hand. “C’mon. You promised me that you will take me to the work, remember?”

Ben groaned a little and murmured something incoherent, which ended with “I don’t want to.”

Hux sighed and preened himself from his embrace, sitting up. He caressed Ben’s cheek and pulled his hair out of his face. “Benny, darling…wake up.” He smiled, still playing with Ben’s hair locks. He looked so peaceful, like his own little angel, an angel that belonged only to him and nobody else. An angel who came into his life to make it a little bit better. To show him that he wasn’t due for the scrap-heap.

Ben cracked his eyes open and squinted at him sleepily. “What’s…What’s the matter?” He mumbled as he smiled. “I had the most wonderful dream. I was dreaming that I had…” He yawned. “…This absolutely gigantic bagel and…” Another yawn. “…it tasted like blueberries and hot dogs and…and pizza.” Ben rubbed his eyes and scratched his nose.

Hux was looking at him for a silent moment and smiled. “Nothing, I just…” _I probably love you._ “Go back to sleep, okay?” He smiled. “I’ll come back after work and…we’ll finish the cleaning. Now sleep.” Hux kissed Ben’s forehead and got up from the couch so he could put on some clothes.

“Okay,” Ben mumbled and turned on his other side, no longer then three seconds later there the snoring came again.

 

Monday passed and on Tuesday’s evening, Hux and Phasma were on their way to the airport. During the whole ride to the nearest airport, Hux was talking on the phone with Ben and Phasma was tired of constantly rolling her eyes at how disgustingly sweet her friend was behaving. She wasn’t sure what was worse, Hux being desperate because of Poe or Hux being love struck by some almost teenager. Yes, she wanted him to be happy again but she didn’t think that he would fall right into the rabbit hole. She was trying to support him but this was… she didn’t know that he was in so deep. Maybe it would be better if they slowed down; she should talk about it with him. She should, she really should. The only problem was that it seemed like Hux will be on the phone with his boyfriend for the whole week.

Maybe it would be better to show him into a different direction. Don’t people say out of sight, out of mind? She just hoped that Hux didn’t have any of Ben’s photos on his phone.

 

“Sir, would you please turn off your phone? We’re about to take off.”

Hux looked up to the flight assistant and blinked. “Already?” She nodded. “Alright, I’ll just-“ Phasma pried his phone from his hand and disconnected the call. “Hey!” Hux turned to her, frowning. “Why did you do that?”

“Because I am sure that your brain will probably explode from all these magnetic waves that are coming from it when you’re using it for five hours straight.”

Hux made a face and gave her a finger. “You’re just jealous.”

Phasma snorted.

“I’m serious, what’s your problem, Gwen? You wanted me to find someone and when I find someone you’re acting like this? Shouldn’t you be happy for me?” Hux refastened his seatbelt and frowned, was it tight enough?

“I am happy for you, Armitage, I am. It’s just… I don’t want you to get too attached to him.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s twenty-five, Armitage.”

“And?”

“And you could easily be his dad.”

“I could not, shut up.”

“People have kids when nineteen all the time, Hux. He’s twenty-five, he will get bored with you, he will want to find somebody younger and your situation with Poe… Look, I know that I said that you should totally go for it with this kid but…”

“It’s my life, okay? And I don’t want to discuss this with you.” Hux took a sleeping mask from his hand luggage and put it, rather aggressively and clumsily, over his eyes.

“Okay,” Phasma mumbled and sighed. If Poe left him for a younger man what chance did he have with Ben not doing the same in the future?

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for this chapter being so short but I wanted to have the whole Ireland thing as a whole so you can expect the next one to be extra long! <3


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the delay! School and work happened but everything should go back to my plan with posting a new chapter every three days!

Hux and Phasma were waiting for their suitcases by the baggage claim line; they were both feeling a little bit stiff from the plane since ten hours sitting in a cramped place isn’t exactly something good when you’re almost two metres high. They were both sleeping for the majority of the flight, taking turns in sleeping on the other one’s shoulder or watching movies.

“How far is it to your parents’ lovely house?” Phasma asked when she put her suitcase on the floor and pulled out the handle.

Hux had already gotten his things and was waiting for her, impatiently tapping his foot. “One hour and a half maximum, hopefully there will be no traffic.”

She nodded, “And you said that they got us a taxi?”

Hux shrugged. “Yes.”

“Couldn’t we just rent a car?”

“I don’t know, Phas. I won’t argue with them.”

Phasma rolled her eyes and set out, Hux was right behind her until he matched her pace. „You know what?“ She smirked when they were entering the arrivals hall where there was a driver already waiting for them with a sign with HUX in bold red letters. “I am impressed, we landed an hour ago and you still didn’t call your sweet boyfriend to tell him that you’re safe and sound.”

Hux looked at her, “I’ve already written him a text when you were on the toilet,” he smirked and nodded towards the man waiting for them. “He’s there.”

“Golly gosh gee whiz Hux, he looks like a leprechaun!”

“He doesn’t, he’s not even ginger, Gwendoline.”

“No, but he’s like 4 feet tall!”

“Oh for Christ’s sake, shut your mouth already,” Hux growled and quickened his steps.

 

“Mr Hux are you eager to be back home?” The driver asked when they entered the highway, and Phasma was trying not to laugh at his accent, she cleared her throat and coughed into her fist.

Armitage rolled his eyes and punched her. “Partly, yes, thank you.” He answered him and smiled politely into the rear-view mirror.

The driver nodded and smiled back at him. “You two are the first to come here. The rest is coming tomorrow. Your mother said that there will be almost fifty people on the Friday party.”

She’s not my mother. Hux smiled again and nodded, “That’s fascinating, I didn’t know that my father had any friends let alone so many of them.”

The driver laughed and shook his head. “You’re a funny one, aren’t ya? I wonder where did you get this treat.”

“My mother,” Hux mumbled and looked out of the window.

 

When they started nearing Hux mansion between the green hills of the Wicklow County and the building was starting to peek from behind the trees, Phasma grabbed Hux’s hand and squeezed it so hard that he thought she might break his bones. “Oh my god, look at this! It’s… It’s huge! You didn’t tell me that it was this big! Oh god, Armitage, are you a lordling or something like this??”

Hux looked out of the window and sighed, “No, I am not. I just come from a family with a big ego.” The Georgian mansion coming into the view before them was standing behind a lake with a wide access road rimmed with old oak trees. The main white building itself was a three storey and with the front side covered in ivy. There were smaller buildings adjoined to it from both sides – one with high windows, behind which there was a winter garden where little Armitage loved to hide, read books and pretend that he lives in a wild jungle where his father and stepmother got eaten by a savage lion; and one which functioned as a garage, tool house and a wine cellar.

“Did you have a canopy bed?” Phasma looked at him with amusement in her eyes but silently hoping that he did have a canopy bed and that she will sleep in one as well because she always wanted one as a little girl.

Hux looked at her, blinked slowly few times and then nodded with an eye roll.

Phasma squeaked.

 

“We’re here. I’ll take your suitcases to your rooms, Mr Hux you are in your old room and your charming lady friend will be in the blue room.” The driver said as he stopped the car in front of the house and opened his door.

Hux nodded and got from the car himself, “I don’t think that this will be necessary, we can handle ourselves.”

“Nonsense, Sir. I am paid for it, I’ll do it.” The driver opened the trunk and took out their things. “And you may call me Connor; I think that we’ll be seeing each other for the rest of your stay.”

Hux sighed and took his suitcase from Connor’s hands. “Thank you, Connor, but I really think we can do it alone. I’ll show my friend her room and you can go to do whatever you are normally doing.”

Connor looked at him for a moment before he shook his head, pried Hux’s suitcase from him and started walking with their luggage towards the house.

“So…” Phasma came to stand next to Hux. “That’s how you want to introduce me to your old people? As your lady friend?” She smirked.

“I can introduce you as an old hag if you want me to but I thought that the first option was more appropriate.”

Phasma elbowed him softly and laughed. “Would you like to tell me what the fuck is a blue room?”

“I don’t want to blow your mind, Phas, but it’s just a room with blue décor. Nothing special, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Is it a blue room with a canopy bed and white wooden furniture from the eighteenth century and statues of little chubby angels?”

“You know what? I think that you will sleep in the wine cellar, it would suit you better.”

“Oh my god, can I??” She smiled at him widely with hope in her eyes. Hux groaned and rubbed his face.

“I hate you so much.”

 

Walking into the house was something Hux imagined quite differently. It was far more silent than he thought it would be. His father wasn’t standing by the stairs with a disapproving look on his face and there was no Maratelle telling him to clean his shoes before he stepped onto the carpet. They weren’t there to scold him, they weren’t there to greet him, they weren’t there at all. The house was quiet, almost deadly so, and he felt a shiver going down his spine. He felt like an intruder there and he wanted to flee.

“Wow.” Phasma said behind his back, “And I wondered why did you never invited me to your home. I would be ashamed too, you know? If my house looked like this I would probably jump off a cliff or something.”

“Phas-“

“No, I’m serious. It’s so… kitschy.”

Hux raised his eyebrows in bewilderment. “Is it?” The stair room in which they were standing was not tasteless at all. There was white marble floor, on which Hux used to slide when he was little and his father wasn’t home (he liked to pretend that he was on a foreign icy planet where you have to use special sliding socks or you wouldn’t be able to move); wide curved white and brown staircase, leading upstairs with black ornamental railing, and a crystal chandelier hanging above their heads.

“Yes, I mean… it looks like some hotel or a…a museum or something. No wonder you’re so uptight all the time if you were raised here.”

“Five minutes ago you were gaping at it in awe, are you messing with me?” He crossed his arms and frowned, he was suddenly feeling very defensive of his old home. It wasn’t kitschy. It was elegant and classy. “Come, I’ll show you to your room. And please, clean your shoes before you step onto the carpets, they’re handmade.”

 

Hux left Phasma to accommodate in her room, which was far better than she deserved but since she came with him here, she probably deserved a halo. He was currently standing in front of the door to his room, trembling inside with fear of what was waiting for him inside. The last time he was in there was more than fifteen years ago. To be honest, he was surprised that it hadn’t been made into another guest room. He opened the door, stepped inside and breathed out in shock.

Everything looked exactly as he left it all these years ago. There were framed posters with mesmerizing nebulas on the walls along with spaceships diagrams, the only colourful things in the room.  His wooden canopy bed was standing in the middle of one of the walls, with fresh dark blue duvet and throw pillows against the stark white goose feathers filled pillows underneath. Suddenly Hux didn’t want anything else but to dive into his old bed and sleep for the eternity. Opposite from the bed there was a large wooden table with a magnetic board above it filled with photographs and his designs. Hux walked over to the windows in front of which there was a dark blue sofa and sat on it. He breathed out and looked around his room; he used to love this place.

Once upon a time.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Hux jumped off the sofa and almost sprinted towards the door, opening it. It was Connor. What was he even expecting? “Do you need anything?” Hux tried to smile even though he felt like punching him instead of his father who wasn’t here, he was never here, to begin with.

“No, no, Sir. I just wanted to ask if everything is to your liking and to tell you that your father and mother will join you at the dinner. Mr Brendol is currently in Dublin and Mrs Maratelle is with her friends.”

Hux nodded. “Is that all?” Connor nodded and Hux shut the door into his face. They knew that they would come and they couldn’t even make the time to be at home. Classic. So he had full three hours before he would meet them and three hours to feel anxious about disappointing them again. Maybe it wasn’t a good idea to come back here in the first place. He thought that it would help him but the only thing this house was awakening in him were all the memories because of which he had fled.

 

Ben was unconscious when his mobile phone caused him a heart attack. “What the fuck?!” He screamed in terror when the devious device started blasting the Star Wars theme right next to his ear. “Oh shit, shit…” His heart was beating like crazy, “Fuck…” He grabbed the phone, completely awake now and looked at the caller ID. When he saw _You must be a Weasley_ , he forgot every insult that was on his mind and accepted the call. “Hello?” He tried to say with his most sultry voice.

“I think I’m having a panic attack.”

Ben blinked at the bluntness of the statement and sat up. “What happened, babe? I thought that your flight was okay.”

“It was, yes. I think that it’s the house. It’s just-“

“I’ll stop you right here, okay? Can we face time? I want you to show me your room and the view. You can show me whatever you like, babe. Just like if I was there with you, alright? Will it help?”

Hux sighed on the other side of the line, there was a pause and the call ended. Ben frowned at his phone but Hux was calling back in a minute and he accepted it again, this time with the video. “I did wake you up.” Hux smiled softly into the camera and shook his head a little. Ben could see that he was white and his eyes were glassy but otherwise he looked okay. At least as okay as one can look after ten hours on a plane.

“It’s okay.” Ben smiled. “I don’t want to see your room though, I am sure that I would be jealous as fuck, I just wanted to see your pretty face. And it worked. I am the master of deception.” Ben used his best evil laughter and Hux huffed. “What? You should know that I am evil, I am the master of the evilness, I am the darkness, I am the night, I am-“

“You’re what, Ben? Batman?”

Ben smirked a little. “No.” He stuck out his tongue and was feeling hundred percent better now that Hux was evidently not panicking anymore. “Batman sucks. Now I’m thinking about it, I suck too, sometimes; I am especially fond of sucking your dick for example.”

Hux blushed deep red and looked around alarmingly. “Ben!” He hissed. “What if somebody heard you?”

Ben laughed a little and wiggled his eyebrows. “Doesn’t matter, you’re smiling.”

Hux sighed and nodded. Ben was right, he was smiling. The only problem was that he wasn’t sure for how long…

 

As soon as Armitage heard the sound of an approaching car, he got up from the bed and walked over to the window to see who it was. He peeked from behind the curtain and watched the car stop on the front porch, gravel crunching under its tires. He didn’t realize that he was holding his breath until he breathed out with something he couldn’t quite identify when his father emerged from the driver’s seat.

He looked the same as when Hux had seen him the last time he was here. The only thing that changed was that his hair was whiter then it used to be. Watching him from above was making Hux’s father seem a little bit shorter than how he remembered him, or it could be that he really got shorter with age. Apart from this, Brendol Hux was still the sour and grumpy looking man with a stern face and a frightening aura, which was coming off him in waves. Armitage sighed and pulled the curtain back. He hadn’t seen him for over fifteen years, it seemed almost unreal that he was seeing him now. How ironic was it that the last time they met was the day he and Poe told Hux’s parent that they were getting married and today he was here without him, divorcing him and still aching from the heartbreak Poe caused him.

Hux sat down on the sofa by the windows and put his face into his hands. What was he supposed to do now? Was he supposed to go down and greet Brendol (and Maratelle who had been in the car with him)? Or was he supposed to stay in his room and wait until dinner? Or, most importantly, shouldn’t he go to find Phasma and warn her about the imminent danger that was now lurking in the house? He decided for the latter but first, he needed to change into something different because he wasn’t planning on coming back here before the supper.

 

Phasma was sitting on her bed, leaning against the headboard and watching a movie on her laptop. She was slowly dozing off when she heard knocking. “Come in!” She called groggily and straightened in her position when she saw that it was just Hux, she rolled her eyes and with, “Oh, it’s only you”, she laid back down.

“How do you mean it’s only me? Were you expecting somebody else?” Hux closed the door and went to look out of her window, her room was situated on the other side of the building so she had a nice view of the garden and forest that laid behind it.

“No,” She shrugged, “I wasn’t expecting anybody, I just thought that you’re dead since we’re here almost two hours and you completely abandoned me the second you showed me my room.” Phasma looked at her friend and sighed when she realized how troubled he looked. “Is everything okay?”

Hux nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, everything is okay… I’ve just… I’ve seen my father when he arrived.”

“Did you talk to him?”

Hux shook his head. “No, no.. I saw him from the window. I don’t think that he saw me. Fortunately.” He looked at his watch, “The dinner should be ready in an hour, which means that we’ll have to be downstairs in forty minutes because Brendol likes to drink his brandy in the drawing room before every dinner. This means you have thirty minutes to make yourself look presentable.”

Phasma looked at him with raised eyebrows and then started laughing.

“What’s so funny?”

“Do you really not hear yourself?” She was still smirking, “Okay then, shall I wear a gown?”

Hux closed his arms and rolled his eyes, “Wear whatever you want but I think that you would look ridiculous in a gown since everybody will be in normal dinner clothes.”

“Okay, I’ll try not to embarrass you in front of your parents. But coming from you, it’s really rich. You’re wearing the clothes I chose for you, so stop talking to me as if I’m unable to dress properly. Though I don’t recall buying you anything pink, amigo.”

Hux shrugged one shoulder and raised his chin in a defensive manner. “It looks well with these grey jeans and Ben says that I look good in it.”

“So we’re taking fashion advice from Ben now?” Phasma snorted. “Isn’t he wearing Hot Topic clothes on a daily basis?”

“He is but it’s apparently his religion, so I don’t care.” Hux lied. He did care. “Please don’t wear anything too extravagant. Not today, not ever while we’re here.”

Gwen mock saluted him and closed her laptop. “Yes, General. Please don’t shoot me in the head. I didn’t intend to offend your mighty boyfriend.”

Hux showed her the finger and went to use the toilet.


	22. Chapter 22

The dinner was even more awkward than they thought it would be.

The end.

 

 

I’m only kidding.

 

When Armitage and Gwendoline entered the drawing room at 17:40, Brendol Hux was sitting on the sofa with his wife Maratelle, drinking brandy and ignoring them. At least Maratelle seemed to notice.

“Armitage!” She rose from the sofa and looked at him with her big round eyes. They were the same as he remembered them, only with more wrinkles in the corners. “Look at you, you look….you’re all grown up and handsome man.” She raised her hand to pat him on his cheek but stopped in the middle of the movement and lowered her hand back down. Armitage was sure that she wanted to tell him that he resembled his father and was glad that she kept it to herself. Then she turned to Phasma and her smile got only bigger, “Good evening, Gwendoline, I haven’t seen you in ages,” She offered Phasma her hand and Phasma accepted it.

“Good evening, Mrs Hux. I’m glad to see you again.” They met only once, back in London when Phasma and Hux met for the first time.

Maratelle smiled and turned back to her husband. “Brendol, aren’t you going to greet your son and his friend?” She frowned at him and Armitage could see his father’s jaw stiffened before he looked at him.

Hux felt ten years old again.

Brendol got up from his spot and even Phasma took a little step back when he approached them. He just stood and kept looking into Armitage’s face, he kept staring into his eyes, never blinking.

The silence was getting really uncomfortable.

And then something completely weird happened.

Brendol smiled.

He started laughing and actually hugged his son and patted his back. “Armitage!” He pulled away from him, with hands still resting on his son’s shoulders, squeezing them. “I’m glad to see you.” Brendol looked him over and shook his head a little, “Look at you, still so thin and-“

Maratelle cleared her throat and Brendol barked a laugh. “Come and sit, we have so much to talk about.” He went back to his spot on the sofa and sat down. Maratelle sat down next to him.

Hux didn’t know what to do. His father has just hugged him. He had never hugged him his entire life. Why now?

“Awkwaaard,” Phasma sang quietly to bring Hux back from his thoughts and when he looked at her, she winked at him with one eye.

 

They didn’t talk, they just kept staring at walls and carpet and their shoes for fifteen minutes before they moved to the dining room when they were told that the dinner was ready.

 

They started eating at six o’clock sharp. Phasma wanted to say something about it because she always found it funny when Hux kept telling her that he needs to have his lunch at noon and dinner at six, she knew that it came from his upbringing but seeing it with her own eyes was something completely different.

It was not as if she didn’t know how his parents could be when they wanted. She heard all the stories Hux told her, may it be in college or later in the States when he got drunk and angry. She knew that his stepmother was probably a gold digger who liked to live in a luxury maybe a little too much. That she liked shopping and gossiping and who disliked his mother for stealing her man from her, even though it was only for one night, which resulted with Armitage being born. Phasma didn’t think that Maratelle hated Hux. No. She looked more like someone who just didn’t find a way to her stepson because she was too afraid of showing him affection when she had someone like Brendol by her side. Speaking of Brendol, Phasma was told that he was a cruel loveless man who put up with Hux only because he promised it to Armitage’s mother. He wanted the best and only the best result from his son and never settled down for anything less. He didn’t like things in a disarray, and coming from a military family he always needed to have things in exact order. However, raising a child like a soldier wasn’t a good way to raise one and it ended up with the catastrophe that was Hux’s damaged psyche and anxiety.

Therefore, she wasn’t quite sure what is she supposed to say in front of them, she didn’t want to get Armitage into trouble and so she decided that it would be probably better if she just kept her mouth shut and didn’t provoke the snake with her bare foot.

She couldn’t imagine Emilia coming into this place on Friday. The party was originally supposed to take place on Thursday but for some reason, they changed it to Friday so there will be far more people since many of them will be staying the night and probably the weekend too but still… That girl was ecstatic to meet her grandparents, as far as Phasma knew, Hux had never talked about them with Emilia and meeting them will be probably a huge disappointment. On the other hand, maybe they would try to be nice to her, she was their only grandchild, after all, they should try to behave in front of her, treat her nice. She was a smart and pretty girl; Phasma couldn’t imagine what they couldn’t like about her. She was sometimes a little bit too loud for Hux’s liking but everything was too loud for Hux’s liking so it was probably not a fair point.

If she was being concerned about how they will behave towards their son, she probably didn’t have to be because they seemed overly interested in her, as if Hux didn’t exist at all.

 

“So, Gwendoline, tell me… You’re a photographer, am I correct?” Maratelle smiled at her with interest. Phasma only nodded. “That’s lovely. I presume that you must be successful, otherwise you wouldn’t do it. What do you photograph? Do you work for some big magazines?”

Phasma smiled at her politely, “Well yes, I think that I am quite successful, but I would do it even if I wasn’t because I love my job.” Maratelle gave her a smile that was saying that she’s probably a naïve and dumb fool. “I work as a freelancer, mostly. But I collaborated with Vanity Fair, GQ and et cetera.” Maratelle’s face transformed into an honest smile and Phasma smirked.

“Wow, it must be really fascinating to work for such a big names. You really made a life for yourself, then.”

Phasma nodded. Yes, she did. She was successful and her parents were proud of her. “Yes, but-“ She couldn’t finish her thought because Brendol looked at her and she suddenly couldn’t find her voice.

“It’s nice to see that at least Armitage’s friend is successful in the big world.” He said with a disapproving look into his son’s direction.

Hux looked at him for the first time since they started eating. He preferred being ignored to this.

“What?” Brendol breathed out with amusement. “I suppose that you’re still a high school teacher?”

“Yes, father.” He said with pride. “I am. Do you have a problem with it?”

His father shook his head and rubbed his bearded chin. Maratelle kicked him under the table. “Of course not. As long as you’re happy.”

“I am happy, father.”

Maratelle cleared her throat and giggled nervously. “Dessert?”

 

“He just couldn’t leave it, could he?” Hux kicked his bed on which Phasma was sitting. “He just had to fucking….fucking-urgh!” He groaned and pulled his hair in despair.

Phasma sighed and shook his head, “Since when are you this inarticulate?”

“Since my father decided to fucking hate me!”

“Can you keep it down a little bit? You’re acting like a lunatic. He could have left the remark to himself, yes, but it wasn’t anything so bad.”

“Are you on his side?” Hux scowled.

“Oh Armitage, no, of course, that I am not. I just think that it could be a lot of worse.”

Hux kept looking at her with frustration but then hang his head and nodded, biting his lip. “You’re probably right. I just… I hope that they will treat Emilia right. They didn’t even ask about her. They didn’t ask about anything. They just… wanted to talk about you.” He looked up at her.

“Maybe that’s because I am obviously better than you.”

Hux made a face at her and rolled his eyes. “Yes yes, you’re just wonderful.” He fell backwards onto the bed and put his face into his hands. How he will survive another five days here, he didn’t know.

 

“I’m coming!” Ben jumped over his sofa and slid across the rest of the room towards the door. When he was almost there, he tripped over a shoe. “Fucking shit!” He shouted at the poor object and grabbed the door handle. “Who’s there?” He asked before opening it.

“It’s me.”

Ben frowned upon hearing the familiar voice. (Now you may be a little bit confused since Ben knows who it is but you can’t… unless you can recognize people voices from written words. Which I won’t lie to you would be freaking cool.) He opened the door a bit and peeked out.

“Hey.” Emilia smiled timidly and rubbed her arms. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” Ben nodded and opened the door completely so she could come inside. “Why are you here, huh?” He backed into the living room, hands under his armpits. “Shouldn’t you be like… packing or something…?”

“Packing? Oh, so you know. No, well, yes. You look good Ben.” She sighed and pursed her lips. “And I…Are you happy? I mean, are you happy with my dad?”

Ben frowned a little, unable to process where she was going with this. He tilted his head back and groaned a little. “Yes.” He stood straight again and nodded, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

“Your hair is longer.”

Ben shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe.” It was almost touching his shoulders now, it was growing fast and he didn’t cut it since he met Emilia in that bar. “Why you’re here?” He repeated stubbornly.

“I can’t go to Ireland.” She sighed.

“What?” Ben spat out and blinked at her with disbelief.

“I can’t go to Ireland.”

“I heard you the first fucking time, why can’t you go there? Your father is in there!” Ben raised his voice a little, his frown getting deeper. How did she mean that she couldn’t go there? Hux was counting on her, Hux was waiting for her, he was miserable and waiting and she wanted to leave him in the lurch. “You failed the exam you had today or what?”

“No, no, the exam was okay. How… how do you know about it?”

“Armitage told me. So what’s the problem then?”

Emilia crossed her hands. What was he trying to obtain here? Was he trying to be her new father? “Why do you care, huh?  Just… I can’t go, alright? I wanted to go; I know that he wants me to go and that I’ve never met them but I… I can’t. Something got into the way, alright?”

“Something got – what the fuck, Emilia?!” Ben was seething. “Are you fucking serious?! He’s counting on you!”

“I know it for fuck’s sake, would you stop screaming at me and listened to me for a second?!”

Ben kicked the armchair and groaned in frustration, then, when he calmed his breathing, he turned around and hugged himself. “Speak. Now.”

“I want you to go instead of me.”

“What?!”

“Yes, I know that you were his second choice, Ben. And I want you to go instead of me. He really cares about you and I…I think that it would probably be better, you would make him feel better than me. Trust me.” Em smiled a bit.

Ben was still pursing his lips and tapping his fingers against his own back. “Uhuh.” He nodded a little. “Okay. But…”

“Will you do it for me? For him?” She batted her eyelashes.

Ben groaned and turned around in a circle. “Fine, Jesus. Yes, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you!” Em squealed and hugged him. 

"The party was today, right?"

Emilia nodded and pulled away. "Yes, yes. Don't worry. You'll be fine." 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine, it's really quite late here but I wanted to finish it and post it today <3

As the noon was approaching, the guests slowly started to arrive, parking their cars in the area next to the lake where an impromptu parking place had been made. Armitage was told that there will be something about fifty people in the evening and he hoped that Emilia would arrive sooner than he will be forced to be drunk legless. She should be here at nine in the evening but still, the chance of him being somewhere under a table at that time was very high.

Hux and Phasma spent the Thursday away from his former home; they took Maratelle’s car and went sightseeing. Phasma wanted to take photos of nature and decided that she could do so whilst torturing Armitage as her model. They even stopped on the cemetery where his mother was buried; they brought her flowers that they found while walking in the forest.

 

_“You never talk about her.” Phasma looked at Hux when he put the bouquet of wildflowers on the desk of her grave. “I mean… You used to talk about her but you don’t now, not anymore.” Hux was sitting in a squat in front of the grave, putting away little leaves that fell on the cold stone._

_“I know.” He mumbled and got up. “Doesn’t mean that I miss her any less.”_

_Phasma took his hand and squeezed it. “She still loves you, Tige.”_

_Hux smiled a little and nodded. “I know. I just wonder… What would she think of Ben.”_

_Phasma laughed a little and shook her head. “That’s what you worry about?” She smirked. “You’re in too deep, aren’t you?” Hux punched her a little and rolled his eyes. “I think that she would love him too.”_

_Hux half-smiled. She was right. In some ways, Ben reminded him of her way too much. And maybe that was a good sign. Maybe it was her who sent Ben into his life, maybe he needed a chaos to find peace._

 

Hux watched people talking in front of the house; he didn’t recognize anyone and didn’t know if it was a good or a bad thing. Will they know who he is? Did his parents talk about him or did they pretend that he didn’t exist? He would bet on the latter.  He turned away from the window to put on a dark blue Aran sweater that was lying on his bed when he heard a knock. “I’m coming, Phas. Just give me a minute!” He peeked out from the sweater and ruffled his hair back into something that resembled a tidy hairstyle and turned back to the door.

It wasn’t Phasma.

“Mar.” He gave her a hesitant smile and straightened the collar of his white shirt.

“Hello. Can I talk to you for a minute?” Maratelle asked him and when Hux nodded, she closed the door. “Thank you.” She smiled at him and stayed standing awkwardly by the door. Armitage turned back to his mirror and was trying to comb his hair with fingers. “It looks good, don’t worry.”

Hux turned to her and sighed. “You can sit down,” He motioned towards the bed and went to sit here himself. “What do you want to talk about?”

Maratelle obeyed and folded her hands in her lap. After few seconds she couldn’t resist anymore and grabbed Hux’s hands, squeezing them. “I just wanted to thank you for coming here for our birthdays, it really means a lot to us. Even to your father even though he doesn’t show it. I know that… that he has been really harsh in the past and that he didn’t exactly behave as the loving father figure that you needed.”

“No, he certainly didn’t.” Hux sneered.

“Oh don’t make this face, Armitage. You’ll have wrinkles.” She shook her head.

“I already do.”

She looked at him pointedly and he sighed. “He talks about you a lot.”

“He does?” Hux’s eyebrows rose.

“Yes. He misses you, Armie. We both do.” She sighed. “I just… I wanted to ask you, could you talk to him, please? Just… talk. I think that you both need it more than anything. I don’t want to make excuses for him but he’s not as bad as you think. He matured just like you did.” She patted his hand and gave him a smile. “You’re really very handsome.” Maratelle rubbed her lips. “It hurts me to admit it but you look a lot like her.” Her voice trembled.

Hux blinked several times and gulped. Did he look like his mother? “I do?”

Maratelle nodded. “I didn’t hate her, you know? Well, maybe I did, at the beginning, but I was young and stupid. And I saw her only as the woman who stole my husband. But the thing is, I was jealous of her. I want you to know this, Armitage, because I don’t want to live with the thought of not seeing you for another fifteen years or more or not seeing you ever again without you knowing this. I always loved you as my own son. And I still do. I was jealous of your mother because she was able to give your father what I couldn’t, she gave him you and I had never been able to give him a child.” Her voice broke, “Every time when I looked at you, I saw her and I couldn’t… didn’t…” She shook her head. “I am so sorry if I’ve ever made you feel unwelcomed, Armitage. I’m so sorry.” She sobbed. Armitage hugged her nervously, biting his lower lip.

“It’s okay.” He mumbled as she held him as if her whole being depended on it. “Please, don’t cry. I will talk to him if it means so much to you.” He took a steadying breath. “And I forgive you; I know that it wasn’t your fault.”  _It was Brendol’s._

Maratelle nodded and pulled away from him. “Thank you.” She took his cheeks into his hands and smiled a little. Blinking away the tears. “Now come, the lunch is ready and I want you to meet somebody.”

 

When Hux and Maratelle entered the dining room, Phasma was already at the table, talking to some woman that Hux couldn't quite place. There were another seven people and Brendol, of course, all of them talking and laughing, all of them stuffy looking. He could see why they were friends; they looked like the same sort as his father. They didn’t pay Hux or Mar any attention but when his stepmother cleared her throat, they ceased and looked at them. “Look who I found,” She smiled at them, eyes still a little bit pinkish. “This is Armitage, Armitage, these are your father colleagues, Peter and Markus and their wives, Olivia and Kaitlynn. You know my sister and her husband, their daughter Sophia,” She nodded towards the young woman talking with Phasma and patted Hux arm.

Hux’s eyes set on the last man whose name Maratelle didn't tell him, he was probably a few years younger than Hux and he was looking at him as if he wanted to flee so badly that he might cry. “Hello, it’s really nice to meet you,” Armitage said to the guests and sat down on his place, which was now between Phasma and the almost crying man.

Their conversations resumed as soon as he sat down and Hux hoped that there won’t be any awkward questions regarding his life.

Oh, how he was mistaken.

 

He was just chewing on his bite of duck’s breast when the first question came.

“So, Armitage, you are living in the States, I presume?” Asked one of his father’s colleagues, his name Hux didn’t remember, he didn’t care. “How is it?”

Hux swallowed what he had in his mouth and smiled politely. “Yes, I am. It is quite different than living here but it’s not bad. It’s a lot warmer in California.”

“Do you live in Los Angeles?” Smiled one of the wives.

Hux shook his head. “No.” Typical, California automatically meant Los Angeles. “No, I don’t, no.” He looked at her and saw that her interest immediately disappeared, not that he minded.

“Mar said that you’re divorcing, that’s a pity. It’s always hard for the whole family, I am divorced too.” Said the other wife. “I remember how miserable I was, it was horrible.” She shook her head.

Hux’s gaze shifted towards Maratelle who gave him a sympathetic smile. He internally groaned and looked back at the brown-haired woman. “Yes, it is hard but Gwendoline here,” He patted Phasma’s hand. “Is helping me a lot.” Phasma smiled at him.

“Can I ask you, I hope that it’s not private, why are you divorcing?” Olivia, Hux finally remembered her name, asked further. Everybody stopped talking and looked at Armitage. “Oh, you hadn’t talked about it yet?” She looked around the table and Maratelle shook her head. “Oh, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know-“

“It’s okay.” Hux interrupted her and sighed. “My husband was cheating on me.” He said simply and heard a soft clangour coming from the head of the table. He looked at his father, he was slowly getting red and was frowning at him with such a vigour that Armitage wasn’t sure if he’s going to scream at him or throttle him.

“He did what?” Brendol growled, actually growled. Hux was ready for something like  _You can’t even keep your queer husband from fucking other boys?_ Or  _That’s exactly what you deserve!_ But his father looked angry not because of him but because of Poe. He always hated him, maybe more than his son, the only thing that prevented Brendol from murdering him was that his son kept his own surname and didn’t change it to Dameron.

“He cheated on me.” Hux looked his father in the eyes and braced for impact.

“You want to tell me that this good-for-nothing stupid looking burger eating moron cheated on you?!”

“Brendol, darling-“ Maratelle cleared her throat and looked at him with pleading eyes, Phasma snorted into her wine.

“Shut it, woman!” Brendol looked at his wife and turned back to his son, “I hope that you at least punched him right in his face.”

Hux paled and Phasma actually burst out laughing. “No, he didn’t, sir.” She said between her cackling. “I wanted to but Armitage forbade it. He said that he’s a lawyer and so I can’t smash out his teeth.” She smirked.

Brendol snorted. “You shouldn’t listen to my son, Gwendoline. He’s too soft-hearted for his own good. Look where it got him.” He shook his head.

“Alright, sir. I’ll punch him next time I see him, may it be on the street or in the courtroom.” Phasma was still smirking.

Maratelle, who was nervously looking at the whole situation, cleared her throat meaningfully. “Nobody will punch anybody.” She frowned. “Armitage,” She looked at him pleadingly, probably to say something – the only problem was that Armitage was lost for words; and so Mar rolled her eyes and repeated, “Armitage,” She said with a little bigger vehemence. “Emilia will come today, am I right?”

Hux shook his head to clear his mind and nodded, “Y-yes, yes. She will come; she should be here for the party.”

“Did you call her that the party is rescheduled for today?” She raised her hand-drawn eyebrows and Hux paled.

“Fuck,” He breathed out quietly. “If you’ll excuse me for a minute,” He got up from his chair and exited the dining room, Emilia was on her way already, that was for sure, but she could at least buy something more festive when she landed.

Maratelle shook his head, “Men.” She sighed and resumed eating.

“Men?” Markus looked at her with amusement, “I bet that he’s no man.” He looked at Gwen and smirked, “Tell us, Gwendoline, is he a woman or a man in a relationship, you must know it when you’re his best friend.”

Phasma looked at him and pursed her lips. “He’s neither. What I want to say that there are two men, none of them is a woman.”

Markus laughed a little. “Well of course but you know how these people are - too sissy.”

Phasma chewed on her inner cheek and looked at Brendol and Maratelle but they didn’t say a word, “Right,” She murmured and shook her head. “Except they aren’t. I bet that you wouldn’t know that Armitage or his husband or even Armitage’s boyfriend prefer men if you looked at them. They’re absolutely normal.”

“His who?” Mar pipped.

Phasma bleached.  _Shit._ “No one.” She said hurriedly and suddenly became very interested in her beans.

“He didn’t tell me that he already has another boyfriend.”

Phasma wanted to die. Hux was going to kill her. She wasn’t supposed to tell them! “That’s because he doesn’t.” She smiled at Hux's stepmother like an angel and then at his father who was rubbing his nose bridge. Somehow looking exactly like Armitage.

“But you just said-“

“I didn’t say anything!”

“Gwendoline-“

“Can I have more wine, please?”

 

It was some time after five o’clock and Hux was in his room changing into his evening clothes, which meant black suit with a vest, white shirt and high red socks with bananas, when his father entered his room without knocking. Armitage turned from the mirror, leaving his bow tie only half made. “Father?” He blinked in surprise, certainly not expecting Brendol Hux with two ties in his hands and a desperate expression.

“I can’t find Maratelle,” Brendol said as if it explained absolutely everything.

Hux sighed. He wasn’t exactly sure if his father really couldn’t find Maratelle or if it was Maratelle who send him after his son in a deception with two ties disguised as an excuse for their talk. If it was the first case, Hux was amazed because it certainly must have taken his father a lot of effort to gather his courage and go to his son to seek help. Brendol never wanted help from anyone, certainly not his weak-willed son. “The red one,” Hux nodded and shortly chewed on his lower lip before turning back to his mirror.

“Thank you,” Brendol murmured, well that was a start. His father thanking him, there had to be some new sunspots forming or he was finally becoming senile.

“You’re welcome,” Hux nodded and finished tying the bow tie, he chose the one with TIE-fighters, which he got on his first adventure with Phasma and Emilia.

“Your friend told us that you already have another boyfriend.” His father said with a little hint of vitriol in his voice.

“What?” Hux spat and turned, getting red in the face.

“Yes. You’re certainly not wasting time. And there I hoped that you finally got-“ Brendol rubbed his chin and sighed. “Look, Armitage, I just… Do you need any money for a good lawyer? I don’t want this Yankee to strip my son of all his money. If you need a lawyer, just tell me. Or said money, I won’t say that I told you so but I bet that you can’t make so much since you’re only a high-school teacher. We can lend you something.”

Hux counted to ten. His father wanted to help him even though he masked it into little insults but still, he wanted to help him. What happened to these people? Was he dying? That had to be it, his father was dying, there was no other reason why would he suddenly behave so different. So… human. Hux shook his head, “Thank you, but no. I will figure it out on my own.”

“Bollocks, Armitage. Think about it, you don’t have to answer me right away; we’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay? When everybody is gone and we have more time.” Brendol frowned a bit. “I hope that this new man of yours is better than the last one. That beard looks good on you, by the way.” He nodded and left his son’s room, closing the door.

“Okay, that was weird.” Armitage sighted and rubbed his face. “Maybe I’m finally getting crazy.”

 

When the evening came and the night was slowly falling, the whole garden was filled with people who were talking and drinking. There were fairy lights on the trees and garden tables with candles - where some of the guests sat and enjoyed their desserts and were probably gossiping about what the others were wearing. In the middle of it all was a big white marquee filled with dining tables and a music band which played everything from swing and jazz to hideous eighties tracks.

Hux was enjoying a flute of champagne next to the wild roses, alone and watching several couples dance to _Unchained Melody_ , thinking about finding Phasma and taking her for a dance only to notice that she was already dancing with one of his father’s colleagues. He was officially alone.  Without Emilia in his sight.

“Why aren’t you dancing?” Armitage looked to his right and saw the man from lunch who had been sitting next to him back then. He still looked very nervous but at least not like he was about to cry.

“I don’t dance,” Hux said simply and kept looking forward.

“I see.” The man next to him nodded and fell silent. “I’m Dopheld, by the way. I’m…Your mother, she said… She wanted me to…”

Hux raised one eyebrow and looked at him. “Yes?”

“Well, it’s kind of embarrassing…” He laughed a little and looked down.

“She wanted us together, didn’t she?” Dopheld nodded and Hux snorted. “Yes, that’s a little awkward since I have a boyfriend and I don’t think that somebody my age should rely on his stepmother to choose his partners.”

“Uhum… Anyway, your father said-“

“Jesus Christ, what? What did he say? He paid you so you would go and talk to me?”

“No!” Dopheld almost screamed. “No, no... No… I came myself. I swear.” He looked at Hux and now he really looked like he was about to cry again. “It’s just…I’m a lawyer, and I don’t want to brag but I am very good. I’m really good when it comes to divorces, my clients always win.” He smiled proudly.

Hux swallowed bitter ‘Good for you’ and sighed. “Well, that’s… that’s very nice of you, Dopheld. But you’re here, and you’re certainly British, aren’t you? And I live in the States, so that will probably be a problem.”

“Ah, yes…” Dopheld hummed, “But I can work over Skype, it’s not a problem. I would do it for you.”

“You would?” Armitage blinked at him.

“Yes, of course.” He nodded.

“You remember that I have a boyfriend, right?”

Dopheld laughed and nodded. “Yes. Can I take you for a drink?”

Hux huffed a laugh and sighed. “If you insist.”

“I do.”

 

One drink turned to three and in the end, Hux was quite impressed by how Dopheld proved to be a really intelligent human being. He was even funny, which was something so abstract for somebody who worked for his father, that Armitage had a suspicion that he was drunker than he thought.

“So, you have a daughter? Is she coming today?” Dopheld asked after he swallowed his bite of a cupcake.

“Yes,” Hux nodded and smiled. “Yes. She should be here any minute now, actually.” He looked at his watch and frowned. “I just hope that something didn’t happen during the flight. I sent her a message that she should call me right after her arrival but-“ Somebody tapped on Hux's shoulder and he rolled his eyes. He hated when people interrupted him. Dopheld, who was standing in front of him frowned slightly and then blinked with fear. Hux turned around and groaned. “What?”

It was Phasma. She was looking at him with panic on her face. “Here you are! Can I talk to you for a minute? It’s…It’s quite urgent.” She nodded.

“What is so urgent, Phas?”

“It’s about Em.”

That sentence alone sent Hux almost running out of the marquee. He grabbed Phasma’s hand and dragged her out. “What is it? Did something happen? Is she okay?”

“Yes, yes… Well, I don’t know but…Come,” She navigated him from the dancing crowd and stopped. “I think that you should see for yourself.”

“What?” Hux breathed out, he was shaking, he was panicking, and he felt his heart rate speeding up.

Gwen took his shoulders and smiled a bit, “Armitage, calm down, Emilia is okay, nothing happened. I just need you to turn around.”

And turn around he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only a few more chapters left!


	24. Chapter 24

Armitage felt as if he was seeing him for the first time. Ben was standing there with a sheepish look on his face and hands clasped behind his back, looking absolutely dishy. Hux didn’t even know that Ben was able to pull out a suit like this. “Hi,” Ben said with a little dip of his head and a mischievous smile.

“Hey,” Hux breathed out, still absolutely awestruck. “Are…Are you real?” He stretched his arm and touched Ben’s chest with nervous hesitation. “Oh shit, you are real.” He swallowed and scratched his ear. “What…What are you doing here, what… What the…How?”

Ben laughed a little, his eyes sparkling and teeth showing. “Yeah, I’m real. Although feeling a little bit out of place.” He took Hux’s hand and pulled him closer. “You look good, do you know it?” Ben stroked Hux’s bearded cheek and kissed him on the tip of his nose. “Hello.” He murmured and captured Hux’s lips between his own in a tender kiss.

Phasma snorted. “That’s fucking unbelievable. If I showed up unexpected and without Emilia with me, he would beat me senseless and screamed at me for an hour.”

That seemed to wake Hux up from his daze and he pulled away from Ben with a fast motion. “Yes!” He nodded furiously. “Where’s Emilia?” He crossed his arms and put his hands under his armpits to prevent himself from touching Ben again.

“She’s in the States, I would assume. She couldn’t come. She… She didn’t tell me why.” Ben shook his head and reached for Hux again but he took step back.

“She couldn’t come? Just like this?” Armitage bit his inner cheek. Ben nodded. “That’s… That’s… I’m going to kill her.” He pursed his lips and shrugged one shoulder, nodding. “Yes, yes. I’m going to kill her.”

“Okay!” Gwen clapped. “Can you go back to the kissing part, please? Less killing and more kissing, c’mon!” Hux turned to her with a glare and she held up her hands. “I’m just going to go, okay?” She started to retreat. “Just…Don’t kill me please, I’m your best friend, remember?” She laughed nervously and when she was four metres away from them, she turned around and started running for her life. However, she was drunker than she thought and ended falling into Maratelle’s flowers.

Ben raised his eyebrows amusedly and shook his head. “That was interesting.”

Hux sighed and turned back to Ben. “Yeah.”

“But she’s right,” Ben smirked and pulled Hux back into a kiss. “I missed you.” He murmured.

Hux pulled away. “I missed you too but… Shit, Ben, this is so unreal! Did somebody saw you?” Ben shook his head. “And why you’re wearing a suit? How did you know?”

“Emilia texted me that you texted her that the party is postponed to today and so I had to buy something at the airport, which cost me a fortune and which is why I’m so late but… I kinda wanted to make a good impression since you dressed so well to meet my parents, and I thought that it would be only fair to look good, you know? Soooo…. What do you think? Do I look good enough?” Ben smirked.

“You look ravishing,” Hux smiled again and kissed him softly in the corner of his lips. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not angry.”

“Ah c’mon. It’s not my fault that our daughter is so irresponsible.” Ben whined and Hux’s eyebrows shot up.

“Our daughter?”

“Yeah,” Ben laughed a little, “I’m your boyfriend. That makes me her potential step-dad. Which is kinda creepy, to be honest.”

“Oh god,” Hux rubbed his face and groaned.

“I know, right? It’s fucked up!”

“Shut up, Ben,” Hux whined and straightened his eyebrows with his fingertips. “Just shut up.”

Ben made a zipping motion with his hand over his mouth.

 

Hux turned back towards the party, bit his lip and thought for a moment. Well, he couldn’t hide Ben in a bush or send him home now that he was here. And he couldn’t let him roam here alone either because if somebody saw him and asked him what he was doing here, Hux doubted that Ben would be able to talk himself out of it. The easiest (albeit probably deadly) option was to take him and introduce him to his parents.

Armitage turned back to Ben and nodded to himself, taking his hand. “Alright, come with me.” He tugged on Ben's arm and started walking back; he just hoped that Ben wouldn’t say something that would make his parents hate him just like they hated Poe.

The only problem was that with Poe it was a hate on the first sight and not something that Poe said or did.

“Just act natural.” Hux looked at Ben and took his hand only to release it after two seconds with fear of somebody seeing it; Ben looked at him and took his hand back, squeezing it and not letting go.

 

“Father?”

Brendol was talking with his friends about the share rate of his company when he heard his son’s voice behind his back. The first to turn was his wife, who was standing by his side for the whole evening simply because it had always been so and they didn’t feel the need to change it. She was his wife, after all, she was supposed to be with him, and she was supposed to be his jewel. When he turned around too, he saw his son, looking at him with expectation and an unfamiliar looking young man behind him. Brendol frowned a bit, he was sure that he didn’t know this man and he was sure that he wasn’t invited. “Yes?”

When Maratelle turned around, Ben gave her an easy smile. She was certainly good looking for her age, Ben wasn’t sure if it was the money, Irish air or genetics but he would bet on the first option – she just looked the type who would use Botox as soon as the first wrinkles came. Then it was Brendol who turned around and Ben’s breathing hitched. If he thought that his own mother was intimidating, he didn’t know what to think about Hux senior.

The younger Hux smiled a bit and took Ben by his waist to pull him next to him. “Father, Maratelle, this is Ben. Emilia couldn’t come, some problems in school, so she sent Ben instead.”

Maratelle raised her eyebrows and Brendol’s frown deepened. She couldn’t come and sent some stranger instead of her? How could his own granddaughter be so irresponsible? Was Armitage such a useless father that he couldn’t rise her right so she would behave? He opened his mouth to comment on it but this mysterious Ben-guy beat him to it. Not that he said anything, no, he took Maratelle's hand and kissed it with a gallant bow.

“Enchanté,” Ben smiled gently when his lips hovered over Maratelle’s hand. When he straightened his back, he offered his hand to Brendol. “My name is Ben Solo. I’m very happy to finally meet you, Mr Hux.” He said when Brendol accepted it and shook his hand. “You have a wonderful son.”

Maratelle giggled and looked between the two of them. “I assume that Ben’s your new boyfriend?” Hux nodded. “He’s certainly younger than I expected but…” She shrugged and waved her hand in a dismissive manner.

“Yes, he certainly is.” Brendol agreed. “But at least it seems that he has some manners. So, Ben, tell us, what do you and your family do?”

Hux paled. Not only that the fact that his father was referring to Ben as Ben and not Solo (which was a miracle on its own since he always referred to Poe as Dameron, that man or with some insult) but he was sure he’s going to have a heart attack if Ben tells them that he’s an unemployed actor. “Why don’t we talk tomorrow?” He said with a fake laugh in an attempt to change the topic and to drag Ben out of the lion’s nest.

“Nonsense!” Brendol hollowed and looked at him sternly, sensing his fear.

Ben looked at Hux and smirked, he put a hand on his waist and caressed him softly. “My father is a retired pilot, he flew in the army, which is something I’ve always adored him for. And my mother is a screenwriter.” Armitage looked at him, Ben never told him what his parents did for a living.

“Your father was in the military?” Asked Brendol and Ben nodded. “That’s impressive. My father was in the military too, a remarkable man. And what is it that you do, Ben?”

Ben smiled confidently, “I’m an actor.”

“An actor?” Maratelle’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. “That’s… Armitage!” She swatted him. “How come that you didn’t tell us that your boyfriend is a celebrity?? Are you famous?”

Ben laughed a little. “Let him be, it’s not his fault. He knows that I don’t like people swooning over me, I’m very private when it comes to my job. But I didn’t come here all the way from California to talk about me, Mrs Hux.” He looked at her. “I came here to celebrate your birthdays.” He wiggled his eyebrows playfully and took out a little box from his pant’s pocket. “This one is for the beautiful lady of the house.” Ben handed it to Maratelle, “And this one is for you, Sir.” He took another box from his other pocket and handed it to Armitage’s father. “Happy birthday to you both.”

“Ah Ben, you didn’t have to buy us anything!” Maratelle giggled again when she took the box. “Off you go, shoo shoo,” She waved her hands. “Go and take this grumpy teacher for a dance before he causes himself an aneurysm.”

Ben laughed heartily at her joke and squeezed Hux’s waist. “Your wish is my command, my lady.” He winked and led his boyfriend away to the dance floor.

“A comedian,” Brendol shook his head and sighed. “Charming.” He said and took a glass of scotch from a waiter who was just passing by.  

 

“You’re unbelievable.” Hux breathed out when they stopped in the little crowd of the dancing pairs and Ben took his hand and waist to guide him through a slow dance.

“I know,” Ben smirked. “I hear this often.”

“No, I’m serious.” Hux shook his head. “How…How did you do it?”

“How did I do what? How did I charm your parents with my natural charm that sends people to swoon at my feet and makes all the panties hit the floor?”

Hux rolled his eyes and scooted closer. “Yes, exactly this.”

“Well, I am a natural talent, what can I say.” Ben shrugged.

“You didn’t have to buy them presents, though. You’ve just met them, it’s… You’re unemployed; you shouldn’t pay for gifts of people you don’t even know.” Hux shook his head.

Ben started laughing and stopped dancing. “You’re angry that I bought them presents? Hux, you can’t be serious!”

“No,” Hux shook his head again. “I’m not angry that you bought them presents, of course not. I just don’t want you to spend your money on them.”

Ben resumed swaying into the slow rhythm and kissed him gently. “You would rather I spend them on you?”

“No, I would rather you kept them so you could buy yourself a better car,” Armitage smirked softly and tugged Ben’s hair.

“That’s not going to happen and you know it.”

“But you-“

“Oh shut up already.” Ben groaned and crashed their lips together.

 

“Shush,” Hux laughed as he guided Ben through the winter garden towards the door that led to the main building.

“Don’t shush me,” Ben laughed too, “Everybody’s outside, I can sing whatever I want to sing.” He looked around, The tall flowers and plants around them, which names he didn’t even know, were making long shadows on the tile floor. Ben squeezed Hux’s hand. “I’m not even surprised that you had a winter garden, you should have told me that you are from a spoiled family.”

“My family may be rotten but I am not, trust me.”

“Yeah, I know you’re not spoiled, Hux. I saw your father; this person would not spoil anyone but his wife and himself.” Ben stopped him and pulled him closer. “But you know what? That’s good; it means that I can spoil you in my own way.”

Hux smiled a bit and kissed him on the tip of his nose. “Just…Don’t buy me any stupid gifts, okay? Poe did that and it didn’t end well. And I never wanted them anyway.”

Ben pursed his lips and grabbed Hux’s bottom. “Don’t talk about your avocado man when you’re this close,” Ben groaned softly and nosed Hux’s cheek. “Did he ever slept with you here?”

Hux raised his eyebrows, “No. We’d never spent a night here. No.”

“I don’t plan on sleeping either,” Ben smirked, still massaging his bottom. “If you know what I mean.” He winked.

Hux groaned and rested his forehead on Ben’s shoulder. “Only you would say something like this.”

Ben snickered, “And you love me for it.”

“No, I certainly don’t.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Na-ah.”

“Yes, you do!” Ben hoisted Hux into the air and threw him over his shoulder, which made Hux squeal with an embarrassing high-pitched voice. “And now I’ll carry you to your room and devour you!” Ren set out with his squirming baggage, occasionally smacking it on its butt when the fidgeting became a little too much.

“Ben! You complete idiot, let me down this instant!”

“Or what? You’ll give me a detention?”

“Ben!”

“Shush, love, you should relax your voice for later when you’ll be screaming my name in your bed,” Ben smirked and bit Hux’s butt through his slacks.

Hux grunted and tried to look where they were going. “You don’t even know where it is, you big oaf.”

“Navigate me then, princess,” Ben said with a singsong voice, which was a result of too much wine.

 

Navigating Ben through the house whilst hanging over his shoulder and with swimming head was a task that Hux would never like to repeat if given the choice. But in the end, they reached his old room intact and when they entered it, Ben finally let him go. Unfortunately, for him it meant falling on the floor and hitting his ass.  “What the-!”

“Oopsie!” Ben laughed and helped him to his feet; Hux punched him into his shoulder and went to turn on the bedside lamp. The room was lit with a soft golden glow and Ben finally had a chance to look around. It was all he imagined and more, it was neat and elegant and space themed and Ben loved every inch of it. “Nice room, princess.” He smirked a bit.

“Says the person with a giant LEGO Death Star in his room,” Hux rolled his eyes and took off his suit jacket. Ben rolled his eyes too and stopped the movement of Hux’s hands when he wanted to start opening his vest.

“No, let me.” Ben smiled and kissed him softly. “I’m sorry for hurting your butt.” He murmured into the kiss and bit him gently.

“’T’s okay.” Armitage mumbled and smiled, “I’ll plot some revenge on you when you’re not expecting it.”

Ben threw his head back and started laughing. “Oh no! I should have known that you’re evil.” He was grinning like an idiot, unbuttoning Hux’s shirt and caressing every new inch of his pale chest that it revealed. “You’re so pale, it’s… it’s captivating. You’re almost translucent, do you know it?”

“Yes, I noticed.” Armitage shook his head and swatted Ben’s hands away. “Undress yourself, it will be faster.”

“But that’s not romantic!” Ben whined.

“Screw romantic Ben, I want you to fuck me.” Hux pushed him onto his bed and Ben gulped.

“Oh my god,” Ben breathed out, his pants immediately tightening. “Yes, yes. Whatever you want.”


	25. Chapter 25

Hux could feel Ben’s warm breath on his own lips, slowly seeping into his skin with a fuzzy sensation. “Enjoying the view?” He mumbled as Ben kept looking into his eyes with fascination and laughed a little when Ben shook his head and whispered a barely audible sorry into his chin.

“But yes, I was,” Ben smirked and pressed his mouth against Hux’s jaw, kissing him there with a careful precision. “Itchy,” He laughed a little when he felt Hux’s beard against his own chapped lips. They managed to undress in a fairly fast manner but as soon as they were both naked and laying on Hux’s bed, the needy aggression was all gone and it all came to a tender kissing with Armitage on his back and Ben settled in between his legs, leaning down to kiss him. “This angle suits you the most, you know?” He smirked when he straightened his back and looked down on Hux. “Drunk and sprawled on a mattress yearning for me to fuck you senseless.” Hux rolled his eyes a bit and groaned quietly when he felt Ben’s finger drawing circles on his lower belly. “You like it, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Hux breathed out, “but…”

“Butt? Someone’s impatient,” Ben smirked.

“What?”

“What?”

Hux huffed softly and rubbed his face. “Stop teasing me and come here,” He waited for Ben to lean down a bit and grabbed his shoulders to guide him down faster. “I want to kiss you.”

“I have no problem with that,” Ben smirked and let Armitage capture his lips with his own in a slow kiss. He meant it when he said that he doesn’t mind, kissing him was his new favourite thing in the world. Not only that he didn’t have to try to prove himself to be a good and skilled kisser with Hux, but Armitage seemed to love his obsession to bite his lips and earlobes (something that Emilia always hated, saying he wasn’t a freaking animal). Ben broke their kiss only to take a breath, he was leaning on his forehand next to Hux’s head, his other hand found its way down Hux’s body and was massaging his hip. “I want to do so many things with you,” He mumbled.

“Then stop talking and start doing them,” Armitage grumbled, impatient. Not that he didn’t like foreplay and cuddling, it was just that he wanted to take his mind off things. He wanted to switch off.

“Aye, I’m sorry.” Ben laughed softly and squeezed Hux’s hip with a little bit more ferocity. “I’m sorry.” He moved from Armitage’s lips to his neck and placed a little kiss there, Hux smelled like cigarettes and pine trees. How he loved his scent. “I’m so…so…sorry.” Ben placed another kiss on the place where his neck met his shoulders and another one to his collarbone. “You’re so skinny.” Ben chuckled as he kept exploring Hux’s chest with his lips, placing tender kisses on every mole he found. “Not so skinny here,” He commented when his lips pressed against the skin under his navel.

“Hey!” Hux slapped him on his head.

“I like it, the more of you, the better.” Hux rolled his eyes, he knew that he wasn’t fat, Ben just liked to joke about his not so firm physique. As Ben moved further down, he suddenly stopped and traced his fingers across the head of Hux’s penis, which was resting on his lower stomach, hard and proud. “Well hello there,” Ben smirked when Hux’s breath hitched. “I missed you dearly.”

“Are…Are you really talking to my dick, right now, Ben?” Hux laughed a little bit desperately.

“No?” Ben laughed too and moved back up so he could look him in the eyes, his hand still stroking Hux’s length in a rather slow manner. “I wouldn’t dare to do something so childish.” He kissed him in the corner of his parted lips.

“You’re horrible, Ben Solo.”

Ben just shrugged “And you’re gorgeous, Armitage Hux.”, and kissed him deeper. He tugged on his lower lip, which was becoming swollen from all the attention Ben has given it. “Do you…Do you have anything here?” Ben mumbled lazily when Hux moaned into his mouth from his handiwork. “I left my things in the car outside so…” Hux shook his head. “No? Oh fuck, Tige, why?”

“I didn’t…Didn’t expect that I’ll need it.”

Ben groaned and buried his face in the crook of Hux’s neck, biting him hard. “Fuck.”

“We don’t have to use-“

“Bullshit.” Ben barked and pulled away, spreading Hux’s legs with such a vigour that Hux though he might tear him apart.

“What are you-aagh…Umm…Shite, Ben.” His question was snatched away from his lips when Ben bent down and he could feel his mouth on the head of his dick. “Oh god. Oh god. Jesus.” Hux's eyes were fluttering shut. Ben wasn't exactly gentle. He kept on nibbling on him with the tiniest hint of teeth, licking the precum that was already leaking out. Then the feeling suddenly ended and Hux lifted his head in confusion. “What-“

“Stop talking,” Ben growled and took Hux’s bent legs; he turned him around as if he weighed nothing, turning him so he would lie on his stomach. “Kneel.”

“Okay.” Hux breathed out, suddenly very confused about this whole situation. He lifted himself up so he would be kneeling but Ben stopped him midway and forced him to bent down with only his ass in the air. He felt extremely exposed, this felt as such a compromising position when he was just there before Ben on display.

Ben leaned down with one hand between Hux’s shoulder blades, slowly caressing him and placing kisses on his spine. Hux breath hitched in his throat once again when he felt Ben kissing him on his tailbone, was Ben really going to… He felt his cheeks be pulled apart, he felt Ben’s lips trail down towards his entrance. He breathed out, slowly and shakily, trying to calm his trembling body. He thought he was going to cry. And he truly sobbed with pleasure when he felt Ben’s tongue licking and savouring places of his body that he was sure shouldn’t be given such an attention. But now, when it was happening, he couldn’t imagine his life without it. He didn’t want it to stop.

Ben pushed his tongue inside, tasting him, while his fingers travelled to the front of Hux’s body and cupped his balls, slowly kneading them, massaging them. “Oh fuck, fuck…” Hux whimpered – if forgetting lube was what it takes to get to feel something like this, Hux was ready to sabotage the whole lube industry.  “Oh god, Ben, I…I swear to god.” Hux moaned into the pillow and furrowed his brows. Ben pushed deeper, his fingers digging into the flesh of Hux's bottom so hard that it would surely leave bruises.

It took one more of Hux’s bewitched moans for everything to shatter to pieces.

 

“Stop right where you are or I’ll chop your head off!” Phasma kicked the door open, holding an ancient silver candleholder in both hands, ready to strike. However, when she saw the situation unfolding before her and realised that there was no murder going down and that Armitage was seriously not in life danger (unless Ben was a cannibal lunatic, which she doubted), she froze and gaped in shock. “Holy shit! I’m sorry! Fuck!” Her hand flew straight in front of her eyes, “My eyes! Fucking idiots! Why?!” She was sure that she won’t be able to unsee this for the rest of her life.

Ben immediately pulled away from Hux’s ass and looked towards the door with pure horror on his face. “What the fuck are you doing here?!” His hand flew into his crotch so he could cover himself, but then he noticed Hux’s ass, which was still up in the air, and tried to cover it with his other hand while the first one remained on his dick – not that it helped anything, Ben may have big hands but not that big.

Hux, on the other hand, absolutely didn’t grasp the concept of Ben’s idea of helping him and jerked away in such a stupid manner that he fell down from the bed, luckily on the side which was further from Phasma’s view. “Fucking hell!” He felt sharp pain in his ankle, “Holy crap, what the fuck Gwen, what the-“

“I’m sorry!” She was turning in a circle by the door, not knowing where to look.

Hux got up from the floor and tossed a blanket at Ben, “Cover yourself, for god’s sake!”

“Thank you,” Ben mumbled and stuffed the blanket into his lap. Hux turned towards the window and was trying to find his boxers. Phasma put her hand down and got an amazing view of Hux’s ass. “Oh my god, Hux, just…Don’t bend over!”

“Get out of my room!” Hux wailed as he turned around, he finally found his boxers and put them in front of himself.

“What’s the meaning of this ruckus!?” Came another voice, followed by a loud gasp and short shriek. Eyes of all of them fell towards Maratelle, who strode into the room ready to scold them for screaming like idiots. However, when she saw Armitage standing naked with only a bundle of boxers covering his junk and Ben, who was kneeling and sitting on his heels with a blanket in his lap, and Phasma with her favourite candleholder in one hand, she gulped and tried not to faint. “Armitage!”

Her stepson paled and pulled the blanket from the bed to his body, yanking it out from Ben in the process. “Hey!” Ben paled even more and yanked back, clearly winning and pulling Hux on the bed with it.

“What is…What…Oh my god, you’re like a Greek god!” Said Maratelle to everyone’s surprise, staring at Ben. Hux meanwhile succeeded in pulling on his briefs. Ben just waved his hand as if to say hello with very uncertain expression and blush creeping over his whole face. “Armitage! Not only that you didn’t tell us that you have a new boyfriend and that he’s a celebrity but now I must find out that he could probably be an underwear model too?”

Phasma looked at Maratelle with raised eyebrows. “O-kay. He’s shredded, right? I told Armitage the first moment I saw him. I wished for these two to bang from the very beginning, they’re so sweet together, right?” She started practically cooing over them.

Hux breathed out through his nose and rubbed his face. “Could you two please exit my bedroom this instant?”

Maratelle giggled drunkenly and waved her hand. “Ah shush, Armitage! Gwendoline and I are talking!”

“And could you possibly talk outside of my room? Preferably outside of this house? Away from this island? Somewhere-“

“-in a galaxy far far away?” Ben supplied.

“Exactly!” Hux nodded desperately.

Maratelle looked at them pointedly. “Kids, don’t be mean! Do you have condoms?”

“What?” The couple said in unison.

“Yes! Young love is so precious! Do you need any?”

This was the last straw; Hux crawled across the bed, jumped from it and showed the two of them out of his room to the hallway. “Good night, ladies!” He closed the door and locked it.

“You should have locked it while ago and this wouldn’t happen, you know?” Ben looked at him from the bed.

“You’re blaming me??” Hux blinked.

“Well you weren’t exactly quiet, but no, I’m not blaming you, of course not.” Ben got up from the bed and walked over to him, still in his naked glory. “You’re my little munchkin; I’m not blaming you for anything.” He pulled Hux closer by the waist and kissed him gently. “You’re trembling.”

“Of course I’m trembling, you oaf, Maratelle almost saw my dick for fuck's sake!” Hux laughed desperately and buried his face into Ben’s shoulder.

“I am sure that it wouldn’t be the first time she saw you naked, honey.” Ben started swaying a little, shuffling his feet and moving in a circle.

“Well no, but…”

“And your butt.”

“Stop with this joke already, it’s not funny anymore.”

Ben laughed into his hair. “You know what’s funny? The way you say funny.”

Hux bit him.

“Hells, I didn’t know I was dating a fucking piranha!”

Now it was Hux who laughed. He turned his head and rested his cheek on Ben, looking into the room around them, letting Ben dance with him in a slow motion. While they were dancing in the centre of Hux’s room, he realised one thing. His stepmother almost saw his junk and she saw Ben naked, she almost caught them in the middle of a sexual act and he was here, only moments later, dancing with Ben and feeling serene. He was feeling calm, happy, and content and… He was not panicking. A few weeks ago this would surely kill him. But now when Ben was here, holding him, giving him strength and self-assurance in his own goofy ways, Hux never felt more alive.

“Ben?” Hux whispered and Ben stopped humming.

“Oui, mon amour?”

Hux took a breath and closed his eyes. “I love you.” He bit his lip, suddenly feeling very foolish.

Ben smiled into his hair and squeezed him tighter. “I love myself too, yeah.” He smirked and Hux bit him again, this time much harder, which made Ben laugh. “I love you too, you crazed piranha! Just stop biting me!”

Hux smiled, satisfied, and closed his eyes once again.

For once in his life, everything seemed it was going to be just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only one more chapter left <3


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took me so long. I really am. But here it is, the little epilogue. I am so grateful for all your kudos and comments and for reading this fic. It was my first and I have already another in the process, which is going to be completely different from this one but I won't spoil anything, so... yup. Thank you! And if you have some questions about the story which weren't answered int he epilogue, don't hesitate to write me and I will try to elaborate! <3

3 months later

Hux was standing in the supermarket queue waiting for his turn to pay for all the goods that were in his shopping basket when he heard a familiar name in a conversation of the people who were standing before him. It was a conversation of three teenage girls, who were excitedly talking about something, which apparently included his boyfriend.

“Have you seen the latest show? I swear to god, it was so totally awesome! Like, totally!”

“Yeah! And he’s so sweet! I mean, when he’s crying at the end of the show and the lights go down, I could eat him up!”

“And he’s so shredded!” Nodded the third girl with a knowing smile.

“Yeah!” Exclaimed the other two simultaneously.

“Oh god, I wish I could see him naked.” Sighed the first one.

“I’m telling you, Ben must have the hugest dick there is.” The second one shook her head.

Hux was just standing there, his eyebrows nearly touching his hairline. He was being pulled between telling them to stop talking about his boyfriend like this and between confirming their theory that yes, Ben was gifted indeed. That was until one of the girls turned to his direction and kept staring at him. He cleared his throat a little and looked at his watch; he could feel her stare boring into his skin. He scratched his neck and looked around a little, flexing his fingers around the shopping cart handle. When he looked back at the girl, she quickly turned around and started whispering with her friends. They all were now nervously looking behind their shoulders at him. He will have to talk to Ben about this. He didn’t agree with this, Ben was only playing in a small local theatre but it seemed that he already had his fan base, and his fans seemed to be rather obsessive over him and they seemed to recognize Hux himself as well, which was not good if they were some local lunatics. He just hoped that they didn’t know where they live. Or that when comes September, his pupils won't harass him because of the fact that he's dating local acting prodigy.

 

When he paid for his goods and was on his way to the car, he pulled his mobile phone out of his pocket and put it between his shoulder and ear so he could stuff all the things into the car trunk. “Ben?” He tried when the beeping on the other line stopped. “Hello to you too, babe.” He smiled. “Are you home already or…Oh. Okay. No, no. Never mind.” He bit his lip and slammed the trunk closed. “Wait a minute.” He put the phone back to his ear, this time normally and got into the car. “Yeah, I know. No, I’m not angry Ben, no. Okay, bye.” He hung up and rubbed his face when he fastened his seatbelt.

It was Armitage’s birthday. He was officially forty-five.

And he was hoping for a day at home, in bed, with Ben and maybe a little bit of food and wine. And not this, especially not this. It was nine in the morning and he was driving home from a shopping mall, so he could make a good lunch since it was his own birthday and so they had something to eat in the evening when Phasma was supposed to stop over with her new boyfriend. He asked Ben if he could go shopping but apparently no, Ben was somewhere god knows where with his friends. Hux was trying to tell himself that he didn’t mind, that Ben wasn’t obliged to do these things for him.

But it still hurt.

Somehow.

 

Hux stopped his car in front of a small apartment complex building and got out. Some time ago, he decided that he will leave the house to Poe and take the money from it, just as Poe wanted to do in the beginning and Mitaka helped him well enough for it to work out. And so Armitage took his money, bought a flat in the town, made Ben rent his own flat and they started living together. It was maybe a little be rushed decision but it was working so far. It wasn’t much but it was a home.

He smiled at one of his neighbours who was walking out of the building and thanked him for holding the doors for him. He wasn’t sure how he would find his keys with arms full of bags, it was bad enough that he had to walk to the third floor with them. That was one reason why he had loved his house; he didn’t have to walk the stairs to get in. Hux sighed a little, not sure if because of the stairs or because he was still a little bit angry with Poe. He hadn’t seen him since the divorce was through, but by what he heard, Poe wasn’t very happy. It seemed that his little boy toy had run away with somebody who was his age. Hux frowned a little. He was forty-five. What if Ben was so busy because he had somebody else? What if he wasn’t good enough anymore?

 

“Don’t be stupid, you idiot.” He muttered to himself and rubbed his forehead when he set his bags on the floor. “He’s just with his friends. You will be with him in the evening. Everything is okay. You are only paranoid.” He fished out his keys and opened the door only to kick them shut when he entered. Hux switched on the lights and looked at himself in the mirror, which was hanging next to the wardrobe. He pursed his lips a little and sighed, self cautiously touching his temple where he found few white hairs the other week.

He kicked off his shoes, lined them next to his other pair with his socked foot, and grabbed the bags again to take them to the kitchen. He didn’t bother to switch on the light in the living room and went straight to the kitchen.

 

Armitage was just putting the milk in the fridge when he heard a noise. He frowned a little and turned around, “What the…” He closed the fridge door and went to the living room, “Hello?”

Silence.

“Ben?”

Silence.

Suddenly there was another sound, it was coming from the bedroom. Hux frowned more and went back to the kitchen where he grabbed a knife and went back to investigate the source of the noise.

“Hello? I’m-I’m armed! Who’s there?” His voice was shaking a little bit but he would never admit that he was terrified. “Ben, if that’s you I swear that I’ll-“ He opened the door and froze. “You fucking idiot!”

It was indeed Ben. He was sitting in the middle of their bed, which was now an absolute mess and he was trying to hold something in his hand. This something was having none of it, it was constantly squirming and…biting him? Was Ben bleeding?

“Armie!” Ben looked up when he heard the door open. “I’m… sorry?” He blinked at him innocently. “I wanted to surprise you with a lovely gift and then sex but this demon spawn ruined it all, I swear to you, she wants to kill me. Fuck. Let me go, you monster!” Ben was trying to pull the orange fluffy ball away from his finger.

“I nearly killed you!” Hux shrieked, set the knife down and went to the bed. “I thought that you were out in town.” He sighed and sat down. “What’s… Why is there a kitten hanging on your finger and why are you bleeding all over our bed?” He breathed out through his nose.

Ben looked at him sheepishly and raised his hand so the little kitten was right in front of Hux’s face. “Happy birthday?”

Hux shook his head and huffed. “You’re impossible.” He grabbed the little animal and put it against his chest. “Hello darling,” He looked at the cat and smiled a little. “Was he bothering you?”

“What?” Ben blinked. “She wanted to kill me and I was bothering her?!”

Hux wasn’t listening to him.

Ben got up from the bed and frowned. “I’m going to put some band-aid on it, you heartless creatures.” He grumbled. “That’s what I get from being a romantic human being.”

“You’re sleeping on the couch tonight, by the way!”

“I love you too, Huxie!”

Hux rolled his eyes and kissed the cat on its forehead. “And I love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me what you think! <3
> 
> Or stop by on my [tumblr](https://katiesghosts.tumblr.com) and say hello! :)


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